Sesshoumaru Wept
by Sekhmet.Rising
Summary: Touga has crossed one of the most powerful beings ever, and some years later, it comes to call. Will Sesshoumaru's sacrifice be enough to save all his lord father fought so hard to establish? Or will the West crumble under the weight of his selflessness?
1. Prologue

**The Usual:** I do not own Inuyasha... blah... blah... blah. For that matter, neither do I own Adam Lambert or Adam Lambert's music. However, I am more than willing to negotiate for a night or two (for Adam Lambert... not the music). ;)

**Author's Note:** I usually write with a soundtrack in my head. I will be including names of songs/bands I write particular chapters with, so you may listen to these songs and, hopefully, catch a small glimpse into this alternative InuYasha universe. Consider my writing **MATURE**: if you are under 18, go look at something else and come back when you're an adult.

**Ongoing Soundtrack:** Amethystium, Waterbone, Mike Oldfield

**Song For Prologue:** Adam Lambert: "Broken Open"

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**Prologue**

_Bastards_, he thought with a half-smile on his face. Yes, he was injured and bleeding, but he'd live to fight another day. It was _almost_ amusing how his retainer had turned traitor, led Ryuukotsusei directly to his family, then had the _balls_ to beg for his life after the damned dragon god—he looked at the broken body and sneered—_thing_ was destroyed by his hand. He snorted, as if to rid his delicate sinuses of the dragon-stench, tendrils of his breath curled out of his nose in the chilled air. He led the dragon far away from his first mate, his son and his second mate, who was in the process of birthing his second child even as he fought to protect them. When his instincts dictated he was a safe distance away, he turned and viciously attacked, taking his enemy completely by surprise. It was a long battle—longer than he would have liked—but he eventually came out victorious. He shook his head as if to clear the last hours from his mind. Enough. He had been away far too long. Ignoring the pain, he leapt into the sky with a mighty spring, his two mokomoko streaming behind.

He rode the air currents high in the night sky, so high up the sound of life far below was a mere whisper to his superior hearing. The stress of the evening fell from his shoulders revealing a very young man, the face of whom could be described as breath taking. Masculine, angular face with single Prussian blue stripes, softly pointed ears with silver rings in each and expressive topaz-colored eyes that missed nothing: the current Western Lord and Dog General was considered a god among the living. As he flew, the numerous cuts ceased dripping as they sealed themselves and the bruising changed color from black to blue to green and yellow, then disappeared altogether. He flexed his left arm and reveled in his body's superior healing abilities, watching as the muscle that was torn mere moments before flexed. He threw back his head and a deep, rumbling howl burst from his chest at how _alive_ he felt in this moment. He put on a burst of speed, anxious to be beside his second mate while she brought another pup into his pack.

As he quickly approached the home his family was wintering in, his nose twitched, taking in the scent of burning wood. His sharp eyes scanned the horizon and found black smoke billowing into the sky. As the scenery flattened out beneath him, unspeakable horror seized his insides, but he caught himself before he vomited mid-air. The sprawling Japanese castle was aflame, and he could see nothing else due to the choking smoke. He landed quickly, snow on the ground fanning out from contact with his rage made physical, Tessaiga in hand. He jogged around the first of the buildings to see his family standing on what would be manicured lawns during the summer, his first mate's arms wrapped around the smaller frame of his second mate. His line of sight automatically sought out her belly and found with a measure of happiness and great fear, she was no longer pregnant. Sesshoumaru stood behind them, his own mokomoko wrapped tightly around himself, and he appeared to be hunched over. He slowed, his instincts telling him that all wasn't well, and he had learned too many difficult lessons to jump into the situation without a measure of caution. He was the patriarch, the alpha male of his pack, and they looked to him for safety, security. He walked with confidence toward them, throwing his aura around his family to comfort them even as he scanned the area for the threat.

Sesshoumaru was the first to turn attention to the approaching warlord, and Touga was shocked when his son crouched in a more defensive position, red eyes leveling a glare at his sire and growled at him. Touga could feel his eyes changing, his inner beast demanding he mount his adolescent pup in response to the challenge he issued, but struggled to maintain control of himself as the bigger threat to his pack had yet to pass. However, before he took another step toward the still-aggressive Sesshoumaru, the heat of a small human hand bled through his corset-like body armor, and he looked down into the pleading brown eyes of his second mate. She sank to her knees in front of him, still bleeding from giving birth, and her face was pale.

"My lord, please do not," Izayoi whispered. "He is protecting your son at my request."

Touga's eyes glanced at the elder brother, and at the look, Sesshoumaru wrapped his mokomoko even more tightly around himself, his lips curling in a snarl at the potential threat. Sayoko, Touga's first mate, approached Izayoi with her eyes lowered, knowing the situation warranted every show of submission. She wrapped her mokomoko around Izayoi in an attempt to keep the human female warm, only daring to look at Touga when his hand lifted her chin nuzzled her cheek. Knowing his two females were ok for the moment, Touga sheathed Tessaiga and held his hands up. He began walking slowly toward Sesshoumaru, expanding his aura around the young male. The pup stopped growling and lifted his head as he scented his sire's approach. His face went blank, and he cocked his head, watching Touga until they were close enough to touch. He knelt beside the crouching prince.

"Sesshoumaru," he said calmly. "I am home, and I am fine. You have fulfilled your responsibility to myself, to your brother and to your family most admirably. May I see the pup?"

It took several heartbeats for Sesshoumaru to respond. Awareness came back to him as his eyes cleared until opalescent amber gazed into his father's face. He released a soft puppyish whine.

"Papa," he whispered and threw himself into Touga's arms. He enfolded the pup in his exposed arms and stroked Sesshoumaru's hair soothingly.

"Yes, boy, I am home," he said against silver hair so similar to his own. When his child stopped shaking, he continued. "May I see your brother?"

"Of course, my lord father," he replied, slipping into the safety of their vertical relationship, his voice losing the childishness of his outburst.

Touga noticed how carefully he unwound his mokomoko, how gently he removed the squirming, silent bundle, and how reverently he offered up his little brother to greet their sire: he was inordinately pleased with his heir. With a smile, the lord took his youngest in hand and pulled the blanket away from the tiny face. Warm golden eyes met his and the pup made a small sound, blinking up at the one who now held him. Touga noted with a small amount of confused happiness the faint Prussian blue stripes on the baby's cheeks and the elegantly pointed demon ears. He leaned over the infant and ran his cheek over the soft, plump puppy skin of his newest child until the baby sounded like he giggled. He pulled back to stare at the strong aura radiating off of the tiny pup. Curious, he thought, this one will be as strong as his brother.

"He's… beautiful…" Touga said, his voice trailing off into a whisper as he felt a foreign—but not wholly unfamiliar—presence not too far behind him, heard the sound of light footsteps in the snow. He handed the baby back to Sesshoumaru, who immediately wrapped himself and the pup into his mokomoko and backed away.

"Why am I not surprised?" the Dog General asked flatly, pulling Tessaiga as he turned.

Before him was a being taller than himself, a feat in and of itself, he mused humorously. The being's eyes had the emptiness and blackness of death, and his raven-colored hair was in long rope-like braids, held together with carved bone beads, all pulled back into one large ponytail. He, too, had pointed ears and black markings, similar to a demon's own markings, curled around his cheeks. He wore a black Egyptian-style wrap tied around his waist that fell to his knees, along with two bands of gold on each arm, connected with chain and sheer black cloth. When he spoke, his voice was that of things long dead and souls forever damned; Touga felt Sayoko and Izayoi shrink from the mere sound generated.

**Touga**, the breathy whisper came, even though the being did not open his mouth. **You have stolen from me, not once but **_**twice**_**!**

"What have I taken that was not already mine, Anubis?" Touga growled back.

**You destroyed Ryuukotsusei, one of my guardians—**

"It attacked my family," he interrupted, sneering. "You _know_ better than to send something after my family."

**There is also the matter of the sword**, he said, pointing a long, slender finger at the second sword sheathed at the General's hip.** Seiunga was to be a gift to my daughter, Kabechet, to aid her in ministering to the spirits of the dead. It holds **_**my fang**_**, dog! It was not given to you!**

Touga narrowed his eyes at the god. "You should have thought of that _before_ you wagered it against my abilities, _jackal_."

After the lord's growl died, the silence was deafening. The flames licked at the sky as the wood from the house continued to crack and pop, and the near-panicked breathing of the human female seemed very loud in the night. Anubis regarded the dog patriarch with disdain, his pit-of-hell eyes revealing nothing.

**So be it. **

The words were spoken with such finality it gave Touga chills. Anubis turned to face Sesshoumaru and as Touga was about to intervene, a high-pitched, angry female voice cut through the words dying on his lips.

"Don't you _dare_ touch those pups, you _coward_! You _monster_!" Izayoi hissed, stumbling the distance to stand in front of Sesshoumaru, her back to the pups. Anubis' eyes grew slightly wider, then slitted.

**You would dare call **_**me**_** a monster when you yourself are **_**mated**_** to a **_**demon**_**?**

"Touga is no monster that would attack children," she growled back. "I will count myself blessed if my son grows up to be _half_ the man he is."

In a move which brought Touga both extreme pride and a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Izayoi struck the taller being. Anubis' head snapped back with the force of the connection and red droplets from the god joined the human blood covering the ground. Before Sayoko realized it, she was in motion, but even with her superior speed, she couldn't prevent Anubis from grabbing the brave human by her neck and shaking her violently. Touga, also, found himself moving toward the grisly scene until a faintly shining barrier appeared before him, and at almost full speed he ran into it, the impact stunning him. Unlike her mate, Sayoko heard the snapping of Izayoi's bones and it served to enrage her further to see the body carelessly thrown aside as waste.

As she leaped, she drew her two sai from where they were tucked at her hip and managed to drag the tip of one across his shoulder, down his collarbone before he batted her aside. Sayoko landed on her hands and feet, claws gouged out furrows in the ice and that brought her to a stop. Without pausing, she was running toward him once more and instead of engaging, she sidestepped him and flicked her claws at him, spraying his face with the caustic gel-like fluid her body produced. His mouth opened and an otherworldly scream erupted. She smiled—a cruel contortion of her face, her eyes the color of the ground around her. When she spoke, her voice was unrecognizable.

"That was for Izayoi. You will never be rid of the scars," she hissed, as she began shifting into her true form. Anubis surged forward and grabbed her by her trailing mokomoko. With a heave and a loud rip, she flew several yards away and landed hard. She attempted to get up once but fell back, took a shuddering breath and stopped moving.

The dog lord pulled Tessaiga and unleashed every technique he knew against the rippling curtain, shaking the very earth with the force of his assault. He fought against the thing preventing him from getting to either of his mates, either of his sons, and nary a scratch did the legendary sword make. He howled, frenzied and furious, and in desperation, began clawing at the barrier hard enough to fracture his fingers. When he strength began to fail, he sat back on his haunches, breathing heavily, to watch and wait for his chance to escape. He heard nothing as Anubis continued his approach, and he couldn't help the growls and snarls escaping him as the jackal-god stopped in front of Sesshoumaru. He held his breath, blood pounding in his veins, as his heir pulled the sword Tenseiga—his gift that very winter for beginning his advanced schooling. Touga grinned, impressed at his son's quick thinking.

As Sesshoumaru raised the sword over his head to land a blow, he seemed to suddenly freeze as Anubis' hand gestured. Touga whined as the feeling of helplessness almost overwhelmed him. It was a sound he hadn't made since he himself was a small pup, cradled in his own father's arms. Without any more obstructions, the tall being reached out and the infant inuyoukai rose from within the soft mass of Sesshoumaru's moko. Touga watched as his youngest glowed a sickly green and continued to hover in front of the jackal-man. He did not want to be a witness to whatever Anubis had planned but he was completely unable to look away, his tactical mind still struggling to formulate a plan. There was a flash of the same green light, and Sesshoumaru lunged forward as the pup fell from the formidable height he was suspended at. Touga hadn't realized he was holding his breath until it came rushing out as the elder caught the younger.

Anubis turned and made eye contact with Touga.

**It is done. Your youngest son's very soul is mine. An eye for an eye, as the humans say, dog. **

Anubis disappeared along with the barrier holding Touga captive. The scents and sounds were a barrage after being trapped in the soundproof bubble. Izayoi's blood, Sayoko's caustic venom, the distinct scent of Anubis… and Sesshoumaru's tears. Touga's heart skipped a few beats and his throat closed as one of his pups began to wail. The instinct to join his heir in mourning almost consumed him, but the two of them were not safe. Once again, he pushed aside the beast threatening to rise and forced his legs to move, one agonizing step at a time.

Sesshoumaru didn't grieve out loud for long. Instead, he stared at the tiny, unmoving body of the babe he had been entrusted to protect. He shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the broken, battered body of his lord father's second mate. She had believed in him, had entrusted him with their pack's most precious thing, and he had failed. And that failure was bile biting at the back of his throat. Something began to grow deep in the pit of his soul, roiling and twisting until his very being and his very body could no longer contain it. He stood suddenly and looked directly at his lord father. He lifted his chin, and the elder inu saw a new spark in the adolescent's eyes.

Without a word between them, Sesshoumaru attacked the imps covering Izayoi's body. In moments, her body had patched itself, and while a great deal of blood remained, her body was whole. She sat up, inhaling sharply and about to let loose with a scream when Touga put his hand on her shoulder.

"My lord," she said, looking around somewhat confused. She saw Sayoko's mangled body lying on the ground and quickly went to her side. With an efficiency Touga rarely had seen in his lifetime, Izayoi had assessed her sister-mate.

"Touga," she said, remaining fixed on what she was doing. She had his attention—she did not use his name unless it was important and she needed to save time. "She is alive, but I can do no more. I think she would benefit from your touch." He nodded his head once and lay down, curling around the deathly still form of the smaller inuyoukai, offering his heat.

"Sesshoumaru!" Izayoi yelled.

She bolted to his side but could only get so close. There was a pure white aura around the two pups, and the air was charged with tension. She grew silent, watching the interaction of Sesshoumaru's energy with the infant. Tenseiga lay seemingly unused at his side. When she finally made sense of what he was doing, she wanted to scream at him but dare not break his concentration. Izayoi felt the weight of the evening pressing in on her, and she bent forward and placed her forehead on the ground, keening quietly. Touga smelled the distress on his second bitch and, convinced Sayoko would be fine for a moment, went and wrapped both moko around Izayoi.

"I have never been so thankful for Tenseiga as I have tonight, mate," he whispered in her ear as he picked her up. She flung her arms around his bare neck and sobbed, trying desperately to not draw Sesshoumaru's concentration away from his self-appointed task.

"He killed our son, didn't he?" she asked between great gasps of air.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. He took our pup's soul," he replied quietly.

"Is there anything that can be done?"

"I am… unsure. When we arrive home, I will be consulting Bokusenou immediately and researching it in our library. However, worrying about our children will do nothing for us right now," Touga said. "Come. Let us rest for now, until the pup finishes."

They lay together, wrapped around the slowly healing body of their beloved, both anxious for Sesshoumaru to join them. The pack needed physical affection after the traumatic events of the evening, no matter how it ended. Touga and Sayoko's warmth surrounded Izayoi, so even in the winter night she was comfortable.

It could have been minutes or hours later when the white light finally died around Sesshoumaru and the pup's body. Touga and Izayoi stared intently at the eldest as he wrapped the body in the blanket, cradling it to his chest and approached his family. He knelt in front of his sire.

"Father," he said, his voice breaking, "That thing k-killed him, a-and I have done what I could do."

He offered the squirming bundle to his astonished sire and lay down on the other side of his mother, weary to the bone. Touga hesitantly pulled the blanket from over the pup's face, exchanging a look with Izayoi before allowing a half-smile to grace his face. Under the blanket lay the pup, but where there were blazes of color at his birth, now were smooth, pink cheeks. Gone were the demon ears he had also been born with, and in their place were two fuzzy puppy ears perched atop the still-silver hair. The little amber eyes opened, and Touga breathed a sigh of relief when those eyes still recognized him, still held the same consciousness, it seemed. Izayoi stared in awe at the alert infant, knowing Tenseiga could not revive that which has no soul.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered, torn between being thankful for the baby's life and angry their eldest son put himself at such risk. At his name, his eyes opened, and a gentle hand stroked his cheek. Izayoi offered comfort to the prince until he blinked. Izayoi gasped, but didn't retract her hand. From the corner of his eyes small beads of blood rolled down his porcelain-white face, leaving a stark crimson trail. Shortly after, another small bead rolled out of his nostril… and another out of his gently pointed ear. She touched the blood hesitantly, then cupped his face and looked into his glassy eyes.

"Oh my child," she said again, brows drawn in concern, "what have you done?"

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*end prologue*

If you would like to read more, let me know.


	2. Eater Of The Dead

**The Usual: **Once again, I don't own InuYasha or any of the music I write to.

**Author's Note:** See profile for website I am using for Egyptian gods.

**Language/Culture Note:** I am taking certain liberties with Zen Buddhism and how that manifests in the Japanese language. When "ji/(o)tera" (寺) is at the end of a place name, it can be assumed the place is a Buddhist temple. For example: 道成寺 (doujouji) is a Buddhist temple in Wakayama prefecture. I am fairly sure I cannot simply stick this suffix onto a word and have it be a Buddhist temple, but I will let this go in favor of allowing it to be a fantasy element. _Japanese terms:_ **zendou:** meditation hall **zafu:** cushion sat upon for meditation **zabuton:** rectangular mat the zafu sit upon

**Ongoing Soundtrack: **The Lord Of The Rings, Enigma

**Songs:** Enigma: "Endless Quest" ::: Chorus Of Tribes: "New Dawn"

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**Chapter 1:**** Eater Of The Dead**

The storm had been brewing for days, gathering strength to unleash their full fury on the central coastal region of Japan. The moon was hidden behind a bank of rainclouds, but the Lord of the West could easily see the path he was on. While Sesshoumaru was not concerned with the storm's imminent arrival, he certainly would prefer to be inside when it began to rain. He sighed to himself, thinking of the sickness he was struck with the last time he was out in it for too long. It was a tense and humiliating moment, sneezing on one of his human vassals in the middle of negotiations to prevent all-out war on his eastern boarder. He quickly covered it with a deep growl, which all participants mistook for Sesshoumaru's extreme displeasure (as not a one of them had ever heard such a noise come from the inuyoukai), and immediately ceased bickering, bowing silently to him. The only other youkai in the room at the time was his mother, and she all but ran from the meeting, her face red with barely-contained mirth. Well, he thought, at least she had enough respect to not laugh at him _in front_ of the humans.

He continued his journey deep into the forest that housed his family's private temple. It was a trek he tried to make once every couple of days but found himself too busy of late to visit. Sakuraji—or Temple of the Cherry Blossom—was tucked against the base of a cliff to offer some protection against the elements and possible invasion. Though not many in Japan (much less the rest of the world) even knew of Sakuraji's existence, Sesshoumaru's ancestor did not take any chances with the location of his family's place of meditation. For that, Sesshoumaru was grateful for the foresight. Before the grand façade of the temple was a large grove of ancient cherry trees, and one demon magnolia tree planted before its very steps some generations before, a Mokurenou by name. In addition to having a distantly related youkai of the mighty Bokusenou on castle grounds, Mokurenou had proved invaluable in hiding the temple with his own youkai aura.

Sesshoumaru walked through the blooming cherry trees. He would have liked to come in the morning because the trees were always an incredible sight in the early morning sun. However, it was not to be. He had a pressing matter to attend to near Edo, so he would be traveling much of this night to make his destination on time. Down the rocky path he could just see Mokurenou's branches, stretching toward the sky, and the faint blue glow of the temple wrapped securely in the tree demon's embrace.

"Good evening, young one," the demon said at Sesshoumaru's approach.

"And to you, honored elder," he replied formally, bowing his head slightly. "How is our guest?"

The tree chuckled. "About the same. The last time you left, she didn't calm for at least five or six days."

"Perhaps this Sesshoumaru is finally getting through to her."

"Perhaps," Mokurenou stated and a gap in the blue glow widened enough to let the daiyoukai through. "I look forward to meeting InuYasha."

Sesshoumaru nodded slightly at his trusted advisor. "As do I."

He continued up the steps and through the veil, which sealed itself when he was on the other side. When the door opened, the stale scent of unwashed human monk hit him, and he growled unconsciously, even as he walked into the zendou. He made a mental note to have the elite servants air the temple out when the cherry blossom petals began to fall. Zafu perched on black zabuton lined the walls that were decorated in hand-painted murals of the history of the western dog clan. The dogs painted their own history, so some of the scenes depicted were masterfully rendered, and others were just barely recognizable—all of it was carefully and lovingly done. Before stepping into the main hall, Sesshoumaru took off his geta, put his hands at gasshou and bowed deeply at the waist to the empty room. His eyes locked on the altar at the head of the hall. In front of the statue of Buddha was a white interlocking web, and at the very center of that ethereal web was the sword Sounga, held tightly in its grip. On either side of the sword were two yaksha, one in the form of a lion and the other an eagle. Their heads turned to him and both nodded their welcome.

"Good evening," Sesshoumaru said, nodding to them as well. "Please give Shakyamuni Buddha my gratitude for your continuing assistance."

They nodded once more and froze, their forms slowly fading from the terrestrial plane. Sesshoumaru knew he would see them guarding the temple the next time he visited Sounga.

Without preamble, he touched the blade and felt the usual wrenching in his gut. When he became aware of his surroundings once more, she was in almost exactly the same position when last he saw her. Chains forged from the very threads of her own soul held her upright while they also prevented her from moving. Numerous shallow cuts bled lazily, marked her golden brown skin with stripes of dark red and made her black demon markings stand out in relief. Her bare breasts, crowned with dark brown nipples, rose and fell with each metered breath. Sesshoumaru admired the bitch from his vantage point. She would be incredible to mate and breed, their pups would be beautiful.

"Your over-inflated ego is tiresome, _mutt_," she hissed, scowling with eyes forever closed on the mortal plane. "I was created sterile. Your thoughts are pointless."

"Hn." He advanced on her. He fitted himself snugly against her back, her blood staining the white silk of his kimono, and put his chin on her shoulder.

"My fantasies are my own, Ammit," he whispered a hair's breadth from her ear. She shivered, goose flesh covered her skin and her nipples hardened. Sesshoumaru's hand slithered up her belly, smeared the fresh blood and clawed lightly at her skin. Its trek ended as it cupped her firm breast, drew drowsy circles around the taut nipple. She gasped at the contact.

"You are not as immune to my touch as you would like me to believe," he said while kissing her neck.

"Why?" Ammit growled. "Why are you doing this?"

He considered her a moment, then slipped around to face her. "Because your master has something I want. You know where he's keeping it."

"You know I can't tell you!"

"I will release you when you tell me," Sesshoumaru stated, running his fingers through the blood on her stomach. "Wouldn't you like to leave here? How many years has it been, Ammit? How long since you last saw Anubis?"

"I—I don't remember!"

"Almost one hundred and fifty years. It is a long time to be away from where you belong, isn't it?"

The silence grew between them, until Sesshoumaru ran his bloodied finger over her lips. He bent down and devoured them, his ego preening when she responded quickly. He kissed down her neck, over her chest; he licked over her stomach and up one of her breasts, missing the nipple. Her blood was sweet and addictive with the sharp tang of immortality. It would be easy to be lost in this, he thought with a self-satisfied rumble. He could smell her arousal dripping from her very pores, even if he couldn't see it in her flushed face or hear it in her soft, strangled noises.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

"This Sesshoumaru is seducing you," he murmured against her neck, then painted the side of her face with her own blood. "I know you simply cannot resist the scent and taste of blood—even if it is your own. We are much the same in that way, Destroyer. It is the reason I left you bleeding, so I would come back to this."

His other hand slipped beneath her sarong-like wrap, and pulled out slick with her body's lubrication. At her natural smell, demonic red exploded into Sesshoumaru's eyes.

"I was wagering that Anubis created you to enjoy mating," he said, his voice unrecognizable. "We are warriors, Ammit. We have killed and have reveled in it. We are not accustomed to gentleness, and with gentleness, I will wear you down."

Her brows lifted and her mouth dropped open in fear of his words. He ran his hand down her face again, her fluids and blood combining before she felt his warm, slightly rough tongue lick a path through it. She couldn't stop her body from trembling at the heightened arousal, and her breasts were so tender she wanted to scream. Before she could form a coherent thought, she felt him pulling away, leaving Sounga.

"You can't leave me here like this, _dog_!" she yelled.

Sesshoumaru continued stepping backward, watching the beautiful goddess writhe in her chains. "Of course I can, Ammit. You forget who I am. I expect when I see you again, you will be willing to disclose the location. If not, I will be more than happy to continue where we've left off."

He clutched his head as he exited the sword, waited until the room stopped spinning to stand. His kimono was bloodstained and the scent of the bitch seemed to have soaked into his very skin. He breathed deeply, his already hard cock pulsing in need. He snarled, but even in his state, managed to pass through the barrier without incident, Mokurenou having retreated into the body of the tree for the night. As he began the trek to the castle, his demon _insisted_ it would not be placated until he mounted and fucked a beta inuyoukai. It snapped and snarled at him to _move_! To _get home_ and find a bitch _NOW_! For once, he heartily agreed with the blasted thing and took to the air in a flash. The only sign of his passing were the cherry blossom petals floating to the ground in the moonlight.

* * *

Makoto paced nervously in her exquisitely decorated room in the concubine's sanctuary. Her third heat was just beginning, making her skin feel itchy and tight. While she was grateful her breeding period wasn't every month as a human female's estrus, she couldn't help but wish this third heat hadn't happened yet. It meant she would be presented to the Western Lord as a sexually viable bitch. And that thought terrified her. The last time she saw or smelled the large alpha male, she had been a very small pup and pissed on the floor in front of the Axis Seat. Even though she was a baby and her response not quite _un_expected, the possibility he would remember remained _mortifying_ to her. She spun around when she heard voices murmuring down the hall, and amid the subdued chaos, she heard Sesshoumaru's name. _No! Not now!_ her mind cried out. Panic welled in her body, and she knew she couldn't escape. The best she could hope for was being ignored in favor of one of the other females.

The scent of the fully aroused sovereign hit her nose as he stepped through the doorway into the concubines' segregated area. Through the archway leading into her room she could see his red eyes raking over the shared area. Her breath caught in her throat as she got her first real look at him as an adult female inuyoukai. His white kimono was open and bloody, showing off his finely muscled chest. Under it he wore pants that appeared to be modeled after hakama, with a fine white sash holding them on tapered hips. She couldn't help but see him as the conquering lord, coming to take his due. She shivered as her own eyes were engulfed in a sea of red, her nether regions aching pleasantly, all but begging to be exposed to the powerful male so her pups would be strong.

A couple of the older bitches came out to see what had their young lord so riled, and with a sniff, he dismissed them, as they belonged to his father when he was living. And he never mounted what belonged to his father, out of respect. A soft noise toward one of the sleeping rooms caught his attention, and his nostrils flared, taking in the flood of scents around him to filter through them. His bestial mind locked in on the scent of fertile, young bitch and without conscious thought, his body glided toward that irresistible fount. He nearly purred in satisfaction that his assumption was correct as it grew in intensity as he approached the room from whence the noise came. He easily filled the arched entry, his eyes taking less than a second to adjust to the dim glow of the magicked, hanging spheres created by his resident sorcerer.

A lithe female inuyoukai stood in the corner with a bed fur wrapped around her small figure, as far away from him as she could manage. Her almond-shaped red eyes regarded him warily, a faint and uncertain growl coming from her chest.

"Present yourself to me," he said, his voice gravelly. He smelled her scent spike with fear and was confused. In an attempt to soothe her, he added: "I will not harm you, little one."

Hesitantly, she walked around to the side of the futon still clutching the fur tightly to her frame. She crawled, trembling, onto the pile of furs and stretched out under his watchful eye, but didn't drop her covering. He carefully extricated her from the offending fur and tossed it to the side, and she curled around herself, trying to wrap her single moko around her nakedness. He draped his body over her and wrapped his non-threatening, dominant aura around her. After her frantic heartbeat settled, her instincts took control. Of her own accord, she rolled onto her stomach and raised her hindquarters for his inspection.

Sesshoumaru retreated to her hind end and buried his nose in her wet heat, inhaling deeply. He licked, intending to penetrate her with his tongue but pulled back quickly when he discovered her virgin barrier. Her behavior finally made sense, and he would have chuckled at his own inattentiveness if he didn't think she would take it very, _very_ personally. In a moment of playfulness, he nipped her outer lip, and she turned her head and growled at him. Good. There was fire in her, and her fear was a direct result of her sexual inexperience. He covered her once more, licking the nape of her neck comfortingly as he began carefully pushing his dripping cock into her body.

She whined loudly as she was filled in a way she hadn't experienced before, and his large frame prevented her from escaping the burn between her legs. She panted under him, her body a mass of tension until he began to growl inaudibly. The vibration sent spikes of pleasure through her body. She groaned as he pulled out, then thrust back into her welcoming heat. As soon as she relaxed, he seized her neck in his jaws with a snarl, digging his fangs into either side of her vertebral column and rode her violently. The sensations were overwhelming to Makoto, and her vision had gone white with something dancing on the edge of pleasure and pain. It seemed to end as quickly as it began, with a searing pain between her legs that forced a loud yelp out of her. Sesshoumaru remained poised over her. He continued to hump her in a controlled manner, grunting with each thrust and unable to pull out. She attempted to turn her head to see why he was stuck but was rewarded with her upper body pressed into the furs, and him growling in warning.

Sesshoumaru maneuvered them onto their sides and without releasing her neck, ran his hand into the downy fur-like patch on her mound. With what little range of motion she had, she groaned and instinctively shifted her leg so he could reach her. Because of the nature of their joining, he wanted to give her pleasure before she fell asleep. His fingers brushed along her inner lips, coming close to her nerve center but not putting pressure on it directly. In a very short period of time, she howled, her whole body tensing. His cock was gripped by her undulating body, and he could feel himself spill into her again, hips once more unconsciously thrusting. They both lay spent and silent, Sesshoumaru enjoying the closeness of _his_ bitch, and Makoto falling asleep, a bit confused but sated. Sesshoumaru covered them with a fur, his cock still buried deeply in her.

* * *

Sayoko walked briskly down the hall of the maze-like castle. She received the summons immediately upon exiting the bath. Even though she spent a good portion of time soaking after her sparring session, her muscles still ached. It had her concerned, but not nearly as concerned as her son's early morning request for her presence in his quarters. It was out of character for the boy to even be under the castle's roof at this time: usually, he was already up and walking to the day's first hearing location with Jakken. Touga used to walk on hearing days too, she thought with a sad half-smile. The two of them were not so very different. Shaking the sadness away, she climbed the spiral staircase leading to the east wing's second level where the ruling pack's quarters were.

She came to a dead stop on the last stair, memories invading her mind. Years before, the pack quarters were filled with her family—young and old, crippled and able-bodied—all going through the regular bonding ritual of grooming each other and sleeping together. How she missed those times! That wonderful time of peace ended abruptly with the sudden deaths of Touga and Izayoi. In the last years, she hadn't been able to bring herself to _think_ of the east wing, much less climb those damned stairs.

"Leave the past where it belongs, mother," Sesshoumaru said, breaking through her self-imposed misery. Her beautiful, strong son stood naked before her with a china cup filled with green tea, held out for her to take. With steady hands she took it from him, not surprised he was able to appear before her without her sensing his approach.

"My thoughtful boy, thank you," Sayoko said and sipped delicately at the steaming liquid.

He gestured with his head for her to follow him as he turned and walked toward his designated chamber. "While I enjoy the time we spend together, this is not a social summon."

Sesshoumaru picked up his own teacup from the side table in the reception room, nodding for her to look at his bed through the open door. Sayoko stepped toward the door, peering into her very private son's bedroom, and her heart skipped a beat when she noticed a bitch curled up in the silk covers. The room's windows faced the east, and the rising sun flooded the moderately sized room, spilling over the bed. It bathed the sleeping form in golden light, as if blessed by the gods themselves. Her youthful face was unmarked save for a crescent moon turned upward, ready to be filled by stars. Her single mokomoko was covered in what she knew was puppy fur that would fill out as she grew. Sayoko looked at her pup then, who was very intent on the female. She waited patiently for him to explain himself, drinking her tea and watching the inuyoukai on his bed.

"My… _session_ with Ammit became quite intense," he began. "When I arrived home, I was close to losing myself, and the beast wanted to mate."

"She is very young. Are you sure she's reached the end of her adolescence?"

"Makoto was in heat when I happened upon her…"

Sayoko's eyes widened marginally. Putting her cup down, she went and stood over the smaller form. She buried her nose in the long, silver hair as soft as puppy down and whuffed quietly, then inhaled.

"She doesn't smell like she's in heat any longer," she murmured, turning her eyes to her son. Her spirit fell when she saw the clothes he had chosen. Black hakama and black three-quarter kimono—Sesshoumaru's warring attire. Her shoulders fell a fraction, but neither mother nor son acknowledged it. This was a chosen destiny.

"Indeed," he replied and began to dress. "I called you up here to ask if you would watch over her while I'm attending to the half-breed. I trust only you with such a task."

He paused in tying his black hakama and glanced at Sayoko. "And I thought you would like to get to know my mate."

"Indeed," Sayoko replied as she climbed into his bed to wrap around his young mate, face-to-face. She was now pack and needed the reassurance of this, especially by the alpha bitch.

Sesshoumaru put the long haori on and climbed in also, spooning Makoto. Both his and his mother's moko entwined over the smaller inu, and the wispy tip of Sesshoumaru's tickled Makoto's nose. Her nose twitched, but she didn't awaken. He put a hand under the cover and ran the very tips of his claws over her skin. She giggled, tried to roll over but found herself entangled in three large mokomoko that were not her own. The scent coming from all around was that of safety and protection, so she immediately calmed and snuggled back into the warmth that she knew was her large mate.

"Makoto," he called quietly.

"My lord?" Makoto answered, smiling at him.

"This is my mother, Sayoko-Sam—"

"Oh stop it, pup!" Sayoko exclaimed, cuffing him lightly with one of her moko. "You and your formality. Please call me Sayoko. Or even better, call me mother. I am so pleased to have you here."

"I am pleased to be here, mother. Thank you for accepting me," Makoto said, staring wide-eyed at the bitch that had the audacity to smack Sesshoumaru.

"Look at that, mother. You've scared her," he said, smirking at his mother over Makoto's head. Sayoko snorted.

"The girl has more spine than that," she said and stroked Makoto's hair. "You found a gem, my boy."

Sesshoumaru got up, retrieved a brush and two black leather straps, then sat on the edge of the bed. "Would you honor me by braiding my hair?"

"Of course, my lord," Makoto said, taking them from him. "I am honored you would allow me to do this for you."

He turned his back to mother and mate, and enjoyed the cherished moments of being groomed. When she finished brushing his long hair, she looked helplessly at Sayoko, who kindly and in hushed tones taught her how to prepare the lord's hair for battle. Sesshoumaru listened to the instruction with a deal of nostalgia, remembering how he would watch his mother, Izayoi and Kasumi (his father's third mate) fuss with Touga's hair on the eve of battle. His sire would laugh with them, touch them often, reassure them with his very presence that nothing would happen to the Western Lord. Many times, their play would turn into hours of mating, bonding on fear-filled nights to ward away the uncertainty. It was not a gift he could give at this time. Through the delightful female chatter, he smelled a trace of his mother's tears, but it was gone by the time he thought of what to say to her.

From their discussion, the two were about finished when he noticed drops of blood on his hand. He gingerly touched his upper lip and drew back blood-coated fingers. Quickly, so neither would notice, he dabbed his nose on the black fabric of his haori. When he thought he wiped all of it off, he turned and both females smiled at the sight of him.

"You are your father's son, Sesshoumaru," Sayoko said and indicated he should look in the mirror.

The three-quarter kimono and hakama set was reminiscent of the outfits he had seen Chinese soldiers wear; he drew the design himself after returning from that particular campaign with his father and had worn the comfortable fighting gear since. The determination in his eyes pleased him greatly, and he couldn't help a growl from escaping. When he faced the two again, it seemed that his mother slipped his swords to Makoto behind his back, and she was bowing, naked and head down, offering them both to him. After admiring her submissive form, he gently took them from her and tucked them into the left side of his obi.

"Stay near my mother," he said, taking her hands and helping her stand. He kissed the back of each of them and embraced her. Reluctantly, he released her.

"I would have nothing happen to either of you. If the situation becomes too volatile, I _expect_ you to call my brothers home," Sesshoumaru said, looking Sayoko directly in her eyes.

She lifted her chin ever so slightly at him. "We will be f—"

"That was not a request, bitch," he cut in, his voice deceptively low. At his tone, Makoto whimpered and hid herself behind Sayoko. Tense seconds passed, and he took a resounding step toward his sire's bitch. While she positively _refused_ to bare her throat to her own child, she did hold her hands up and look away.

"Yes, my lord," she muttered. Sesshoumaru sighed and pulled both of them into his arms, willing their last moments together to not be tainted by his final order to his mother.

They pulled away from him finally, and without another word, he left.


	3. Sleeping Dogs Lie

**Sleeping Dogs Lie**

His heart was beating frantically in his ears, pumping adrenaline-soaked blood through his body and propelling him forward. He was desperate to get away from his pursuer, his nemesis… his brother. He could hear the massive body crashing through the bamboo so very close behind him. He risked looking over his furry shoulder and saw the enraged red eyes of the relentless alpha male just as the larger canine shot forward in an attempt to cut him off. He feinted to the left and then, with his energy fading quickly, surged to the right. He felt the breeze of the failed attack blow through the fur on his tail—_tail?_ The momentary surprise at the realization that he was in his true form was all it took for his brother to regain his bearings and leap. The impact stole the breath from him as they tumbled together through the underbrush, and the blue of the sky and the green of the forest spiraled together, making his stomach lurch. It took some time before he felt himself lying on his back and no longer in motion, the heavier male on top of him stomach-to-stomach.

"Go on!" he barked. "Kill me!"

The older dog gave him a look he couldn't decipher and grabbed him by the throat. He panicked and fought when he felt his brother's unsheathed cock pressing into his furry abdomen.

_Of course, you __**would**__ get off on killing, wouldn't you asshole_? he thought bitterly. His struggles ceased abruptly as the razor sharp fangs squeezed tightly around the tender skin of his neck…

Miroku stared. He couldn't help it. He _almost_ laughed too, but managed to contain it behind a rosary-clad hand. The night of the new moon passed, and he insisted InuYasha sleep before continuing on their quest due to bags the size of Buddha's belly cascading under the poor dog's eyes. So the friends set up camp and watched for danger as the adolescent half-demon—on all fours—circled a particularly inviting patch of grass, then collapsed into a deep sleep. It was the sight of the sleeping dog that had Miroku beginning to associate words like "cute" and "adorable" with his good friend; InuYasha lay on his side with legs and arms twitching as if running in his sleep like a mortal dog would, making the _cutest_ whining puppy noises. Miroku motioned for Sango and Kagome to take a look, shushing them as they approached. It was a rare thing for them to see InuYasha sleeping. His senses were too honed for mere humans to be able to sneak up on him, even if one of those humans was the most powerful miko to be born in many years. The young women's hearts melted at the sight of the iron-willed warrior's vulnerability.

Kagome wanted so badly to touch one of those madly twitching ears for so long, she reached out before she could stop herself. As her hand drew closer, InuYasha sat bolt upright, his red eyes staring directly at her. He snarled and pounced before any of them could react, pinning Kagome under him. She opened her mouth to mutter the cursed word, then shut it quickly after she realized he would crash down onto her. Chaos erupted around them with Miroku and Sango trying in vain to get InuYasha's focus away from the woman under him as his sharp teeth came closer and closer to her jugular. Kirara jumped onto his back and propelled herself off of it, gaining his attention for mere moments only to have it snap back to the miko: something inside of the dog demon viewed this being under him as a threat to his safety and was responding to that threat.

Suddenly, all three demons were alert and staring in the same direction, noses and ears twitching. InuYasha was the first to recover. With a shout of _"Sesshoumaru!"_ he jumped up, grabbed Tessaiga and unleashed the Wind Scar. The roar of the magic discharging from the transformed sword drowned out any other sound around the group. They couldn't tell where he pointed the tip of the sword, so they were at a loss as to which direction to begin attacking. The magic carved out great ruts in the ground, and rocks and trees in the path of the Wind Scar exploded with a deafening fury. Sand and splinters rained onto Miroku and Sango who didn't move fast enough to get out of its way. When all settled and the dust cloud began dissipating, they could see a figure garbed in black walking toward them on the changed landscape.

The first word Kagome thought when she saw the Western Lord was _striking_—Sesshoumaru was a _striking_ demon, even more so in all black than in white. With his hair in a warlord's braid, his markings stood stark against his pale skin and left no doubts that he was from a highly venomous bloodline. At best, Sesshoumaru was dangerous in Kagome's mind. But _this_ Sesshoumaru they faced was a savage beast, a demon of unfathomable ability; Kagome's spirit froze when she reached out a tentative tendril toward the lord and found the rumblings of a great and terrible power gliding over the dog's skin. His lip was curled in a sneer, and his eyes were the color of hellfire.

Sesshoumaru extended a clawed hand and beckoned. "Come little brother. Come let us see just how powerful you think you are."

"Bastard!" InuYasha howled and launched himself at the full demon. The three humans and two lesser demons scurried to get out of the way as blades clashed, sending out waves of energy and nearly knocking the group off of their feet. Ducking behind a large boulder, Miroku could only look on in horror. Never had the sons of Touga fought so viciously to his knowledge. It was an awe-inspiring sight and beautiful in its animal aggression.

The blows each brother dealt were not pulled in any way that could be seen. InuYasha was a blur, seemingly more agile than the older male, but the few strikes Sesshoumaru landed were solid, knocking the halfling-turned-demon to the ground. InuYasha recovered quickly and continued his assault in earnest. He summoned the Wind Scar once more and sent it ripping through the expanse between them, tearing up the untouched dirt and vegetation. The dog lord barely made it out of the way, and a small piece of his black kimono along with a few hairs from his mokomoko fluttered to the ground.

He snarled at InuYasha and redoubled the strength of his attacks. The force of his blade hitting Tessaiga reverberated through the air, down through each of the swords and numbing their hands with the sheer brutality of each collision. They continued, each testing the other for weaknesses to be exploited and finding none. As he maneuvered himself closer to Sesshoumaru, InuYasha saw an opportunity to contact and took it. Sesshoumaru pulled back, nearly having his head neatly severed from his body by the sharp edge of his sire's own fang. He almost lost the cool veneer usually present on his face, but he managed to hide his surprise well.

Tessaiga narrowly missed his brother's mocking face, and InuYasha growled, bringing the large fang up for another attempt. His swings were as fast as the Western Lord's but he couldn't seem to get the advantage, even though he was pressing Sesshoumaru back. He almost lost his concentration when he saw which sword his bastard brother was wielding: Tenseiga. With the momentary lapse, Sesshoumaru slipped in and swung, the blade stationary against InuYasha's neck. Red eyes locked onto each other. The elder flicked the wrist holding Tenseiga, and InuYasha actually felt the blade cut into his cheek. In shock, he hesitantly touched his face and drew back thick blood. He could think of nothing to say, so disturbing and unreal was this use of the healing sword. In the distance, he could hear Kagome scream his name into the pregnant silence.

"Your bitch calls you, _half-breed_," Sesshoumaru taunted.

"Not my bitch, though she thinks she is," InuYasha stated and hooked a hand around the subjugation beads. "She will try to interfere."

Sesshoumaru nodded once and moved to stand in front of Kagome. He moved quickly, appeared out of nowhere to human perception, and Kagome screamed. He lifted her easily with his moko so she was face to face with him, and he ran his hand over her throat. She began coughing and small, innumerable pinpoints of light exited her mouth with each gasping breath. They collected into a swarm above her head, and there they remained. He dropped her unceremoniously and picked up the fight once more. Sango was by her side immediately.

"Kagome! Are you alright?" she asked, holding onto the younger girl. Kagome opened her mouth and nothing came out.

"What the hell did he do?" Miroku said more to himself. He took Kagome's face in hand and was just beginning to examine her spirit when the air pressure dropped. Miroku and Kagome exchanged a look when the breeze began.

"Oh shit," he whispered. "Get out of here! Now!"

Kirara transformed and the four tried to pile onto her, but couldn't. Miroku slid off and tossed Kagome on.

"I can't just leave you, you idiot!" Sango hissed. Miroku pulled her head down and kissed her.

"You can and you will. I will be fine. Now go before it's too late!" He watched Kirara take to the sky and ride the currents high up out of reach. Convinced they had a chance, Miroku watched the battle through the intensifying wind.

The whole of nature seemed to obey the warlord as he raised Tenseiga over his head, and the wind whipped in a circular motion, creating a tornado around him. Before it closed in, he pierced the ground, and InuYasha nearly dropped Tessaiga to throw his hands over his ears as the earth itself screamed in agony. Several anxiety-ridden moments of silence had passed when it seemed the trees, grass and rocks shuddered, then slowly lost color as their life essences were drained. The gathering energy circled Tenseiga and was drawn into the blade, rendering it an eerie, glowing black. It reflected onto Sesshoumaru's demonic face, and InuYasha recognized something very chilling in his older brother—this male was not a neutral opponent, but utterly _evil_.

Sesshoumaru drew Tenseiga and threw the black energy directly at InuYasha. It split and became a shadowy Wind Scar, tearing the ground asunder as it clawed its way to the half-breed. With only seconds to react, InuYasha conjured the Backlash Wave and sent it into the oncoming wall. The numerous twisters consumed Sesshoumaru's attack and sliced through the dancing magic, cutting a straight line to the Western Lord. InuYasha was fully prepared for the elder inu to evade the massive attack; he was shocked once more when Sesshoumaru stabbed the fang into the ground and opened his arms wide, as if to embrace the devastating, helter-skelter energies rushing toward him. InuYasha took a step, then another when he saw the fool standing there while his death sped across the decimated landscape. Hands grabbed him, and he was looking at Miroku instead of Sesshoumaru.

"Move!" the monk roared and shoved him out of the way.

InuYasha ran but couldn't keep his eyes from the black-clad figure as the Backlash Wave converged upon him, the sound louder than a thousand thunderclaps. It seemed to echo for an eternity, then stilled, and the dust was thick as mud. Miroku clasped InuYasha to him when the young demon threw his head back and howled in sorrow, his heart breaking within his body. His instincts were urging him to go to his fallen pack mate but found himself held fast by Miroku. And, for a time, he was content to let the monk hold him, staving off the need to deal with Sesshoumaru's brutal demise. InuYasha's head cocked, and his ears perked as a soft whine escaped his chest. Through the dust an answering howl was released, deep and prolonged. As the aftermath settled, the outline of a large dog was visible. When it came into focus, InuYasha was startled by its color. It was black, all of it. Eyes that by all rights should be red were pools of black with no iris, no pupil. InuYasha and Miroku exchanged a glance, and Miroku shrugged, having no idea what just happened.

The black dog began to shift its shape, changing into Sesshoumaru's humanoid form. After the transformation, he fell to his knees, and InuYasha approached him. The demon raised his head, and InuYasha gasped. Gone were the golden eyes of their sire and in their place were black orbs with no end and no beginning. Sesshoumaru hissed at InuYasha's presence but didn't attack as the younger male got closer.

"Sesshoumaru?" he asked quietly. "Are you ok?"

"I am fine, half-breed," he bit out, struggling to stand. It took a couple of attempts before he was solidly on his feet, batting InuYasha's hands out of the way.

"Wh-what was that?" InuYasha asked, relieved to see the familiar burnished gold of Sesshoumaru's eyes once more.

Sesshoumaru took a step toward the boy, who responded by stepping backward into a tree, ears flattened. His body language was subdued, and he knew the pup was frightened of him now… _truly_ frightened. _And he should be_, a small part of his mind whispered. He could smell the cloying scent of fear coming off of him in waves. InuYasha felt his brother's cool hand lift his chin to look into his eyes. The intensity in Sesshoumaru's gaze had InuYasha wanting to run and hide, tail tucked between his legs. His gaze was searching for something in his own, something he himself wasn't aware of. A muscle in the lord's jaw twitched, and he nodded imperceptibly.

"It does not concern you, pup," he said softly. He let the boy's chin go and was about to turn away when InuYasha reached out to touch the side of his face.

"You're bleeding," he said, holding his hand out for Sesshoumaru to see.

He nodded and took InuYasha's hand in his own, wiping the blood from it. He walked away and retrieved Tenseiga, cleaning the blade on his kimono before sheathing it. With a soul-deep sigh, he began his journey once again, leaving behind his brother and makeshift pack without a second glance. There were many miles to go before he could rest this day.

The muted blast rocked her workroom yet again. She had fortified her section of the Grand Palace to prevent the tremors from shattering her innumerable crystal balls, perched like carrion birds on their stalagmite bases. Her black wings unfurled a bit from where they lay on her back in nervous anticipation of the next hit. She muttered to herself about fools and their pride as small clouds of dirt fell from her ceiling as the room rocked again. Footsteps approached the door to her room, and before the expected guest could knock, she had the door open.

"Welcome, Anubis."

The large jackal-god nodded and stepped into the darkened room. The scent of incense—patchouli, sandalwood, jasmine—engulfed his senses, along with the prayers of their devoted followers. It was a balm to his bruised ego.

"For what reason have you made your way into my domain?" she asked, turning her blind eyes back to the smooth crystal.

"I have come to ask you if you have seen the end of this trial. Is it even in sight, Ma'at?" Anubis asked, his voice weary.

"You have always had the power to end this. However, if you are asking if Touga's son will ever concede, that is in his own hands. From what I have seen, I would hazard to say the pup will die before doing so."

"Have you _seen_ what they did to my face?" Anubis growled, indicating the diagonal line of scars across his once-flawless face.

Ma'at rounded on him. "I saw it when it happened. And I think it so much less than what you did to them."

Anubis held his hands up and knelt to show his submission to the Goddess of Universal Balance. Unblinking, she stared directly at him. The black Eye of Horus around her left eye allowed no question as to who the beloved above all gods and goddesses was.

"I give you no support in this, Anubis," Ma'at said softly. "I advise you to fix it before it becomes more of a problem than it already is."

Anubis departed abruptly, and Ma'at sighed. She glanced at the crystal ball which displayed an angry InuYasha and Sesshoumaru, fighting bitterly. The next ball held the image of InuYasha impaled upon Toukijin and a maniacal grin on Sesshoumaru's face. Yet another one showed the red-clad warrior beheading the Western Lord in his sleep. She shook her head. So many possibilities, so many different worlds, and not a one of them had such potential as the one Anubis had chosen to interfere with.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered, touching the largest ball in her room. A vision of the lord appeared. He was dressed in black and standing once again in the place where the whole mess began.

"Once in so many lifetimes, you choose to do what is right," she said to her empty room, "and this is how it ends. I am so sorry, young one."

That evening in Kaede's village, InuYasha picked at the cup 'o noodles Kagome prepared for him. While he appeared calm, his mind was frantically trying to figure out what the hell happened with Sesshoumaru. Never in his hundred fifty and some odd years had he seen or heard about what happened during the daylight hours. If it happened at night, he would swear it had been his own eyesight failing. He jabbed the plastic chopsticks into the mass of instant noodles and gingerly touched his cheek where Tenseiga sliced him open. Of course it was physically healed, but the internal scar would remain until he breathed his last. That sword should _never_ have cut him, even with Sesshoumaru at the height of fury. When InuYasha came out of his reverie, the air was tense, and Miroku and Kagome were glaring at each other.

"It was _just_ an idea," Kagome spat.

"It's a _bad_ idea," Miroku countered, scowling.

"Whatever that thing was today was not Sesshoumaru," she continued. "We need information on it. We need to know what we're up against."

"Agreed, but asking Kikyou is not the answer—"

"Why not?" Kagome asked, sitting up. "She could have information—"

"_Quiet_!" InuYasha barked, and all mouths were shut, all eyes on him. He took a deep breath and handed his food to Shippou, who took it with a measure of trepidation.

"I have no other ideas, so I'll go find her," he said and disappeared into the inky night.

Moonlight, white and pure, filtered through the tangled branches of the trees as InuYasha made his way to the last place he saw the dead miko. The dense underbrush made it difficult to push through but he didn't want to soar through the treetops at this time of night. Nocturnal flying youkai were out, and he could hear a predator coming through the bushes better than one swooping down from above. He muttered a curse as a supple branch left a stinging welt across his face, even as he tripped on a protruding log. Catching himself, he went to brush the leg of his hakama off and wound up falling onto his face.

"Dammit," he muttered without getting up. "Just like a damned 'sit'."

He took a deep breath and let it out. He was about to sit up when something shiny entangled in the layers of dead vegetation caught his attention. He reached out and with his first attempt, could not get it out. _Must've been here awhile_, he figured. He cut the stringy vines with his claws and managed to work enough of it away to see what could be a picture frame of some sort. He continued digging at its natural cage until he could start making out figures. InuYasha tugged at it until he felt it give and come free. It was a painting. Or what remained of it. He was suddenly compelled to know what this was about and took his sleeve to wipe the years of grime off of the canvas, his heart sticking in his throat when it was revealed.

It was his brother as a young pup. In the background, he could just make out what InuYasha assumed was Sesshoumaru's mother, due to the matching moon on her forehead. To the far right was the beginning of what he assumed was his father, two mokomoko trailing around the front and down, out of the picture. The top of the canvas was charred, as if it had caught fire and then put out. His father's head was missing because of it. But what made him feel sick was the second female he could make out. Izayoi—his own mother. But… why? Wasn't the bastard angry with him because Izayoi seduced their father from his mother? At least in part? Isn't that what the elder brother had told him? If Izayoi was in a painting with Sesshoumaru and his mother, they would have to get along for a short period of time to have it done. And the family portrait (for that is what it was) probably wasn't completed in just one sitting.

A thousand questions saturated InuYasha's mind. He looked up, his eyes scanning the young forest around him for any clue why this burnt painting was in the middle of nowhere. The longer he stared, the more house-like some of the features around him became. Over there, where a wall of ivy seemed to be, took the shape of a tall outside wall. And the thick, dead trees around him could easily be support beams for a roof. He set the painting down carefully and explored the area, discovering tantalizing evidence of what was enshrouded in the forest centuries before. A scrap of silk here, a fragment of pottery there, and wherever he disturbed the age-old plant life, the barest hint of smoke and fire emerged.

The faint undercurrent of a familiar aura brushed against his. He lifted his nose and sure enough, Sesshoumaru's thunderstorm-and-rainwater scent was in the air. He bound up what he knew now was an ancient wall and scanned the area for him. In a clearing that appeared to be well cared for, the Lord of the Western Lands stood staring into the distance. Never had InuYasha been able to get this close without the elder making some rude comment or pulling his sword, and to see his powerful brother's profile almost brought tears to the young half-breed's eyes. This alpha male, his pack mate, was so beautiful. The light from the moon only enriched the color of the dog's facial marks, and created a glittering silver rope out of his still braided hair. However, the look in Sesshoumaru's eyes he had never been on the receiving end of either, and it gave him chills. The outright malice in his expression was enough to freeze the fires of hell, and InuYasha found himself thankful that, for once, his brother's ire wasn't directed at him.

InuYasha dropped down silently on the other side of the partially destroyed wall. He poked around, seeing if there were more treasures of his sire's past he could unearth. He yawned after a time, still tired from the events of the last day and a half. Kagome would be wondering what happened to him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He _needed_ to know what this place was about, so he curled up to rest until Sesshoumaru finished whatever task he was working on.

He was snatched from sleep by a soul-piercing whine. He oriented himself quickly and saw Sesshoumaru turn to him, streaks of blood running down his face from the corners of his eyes and nose. The lord seemed to recognize him for a moment, even took a step toward him with one hand about to reach out. But golden eyes rolled up into his head, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. InuYasha's body was on its way to his fallen brother, but then his mind stopped him. _What the hell has he done for me?Serves him right,_ the thought came. InuYasha was about to leave when the shimmering figure of a large white dog appeared next to Sesshoumaru's body. Its crests were identical to his own when his demon came out.

"F—Father?" he whispered.

The dog howled mournfully and stuck its muzzle under Sesshoumaru's arm, nudging it gently. Then it looked back at InuYasha.

"I can't! I can't help him! He would kill me if I put my tainted hands on him!" he explained to the see-through dog. His explanation only seemed to sadden the dog. It lay next to Sesshoumaru and put its head on the lord's hip, a forlorn expression on its face. InuYasha huffed, crossed his arms and turned his back on them both. If he helped Sesshoumaru back to Kaede's village, there was no telling what destruction he would wreak after he learned what happened. His brows furrowed. But could he really deny his father any request? His shoulders slumped.

"Alright. But if he's mad at me for this, I'm blaming you," InuYasha said to what he assumed was his sire's ghost form.

The dog leapt up, tongue and tail wagging as InuYasha approached Sesshoumaru's unmoving form warily, as if the lord was only waiting for the half-breed to get close enough to kill. He touched the black-clad arm and withdrew his hand quickly. When the dangerous dog didn't react, he slid a hand under the large frame and attempted to pull the body into a sitting position. As soon as he lifted, Sesshoumaru groaned in pain and opened red eyes. He tried snarling at the cause of the aching muscles and joints but passed out from the extreme discomfort. InuYasha gave a pointed look to the ghost dog before he slid his arms under Sesshoumaru and hefted him into a cradle hold.

"Release my Most Honored Lord you vile half-breed!" came Jakken's high-pitched screech, startling InuYasha so he nearly dropped Sesshoumaru. The female face of the Staff of Two Heads came barreling toward InuYasha, and he twisted his body so it hit his shoulder, rather than Sesshoumaru's head.

"Ow! Shut your mouth, you little shit!" InuYasha said and kicked the toad. "And stop swinging that thing before you kill him!"

Jakken paused in his attack, the energy seeming to drain out of the small, green body. "I need to take him back to the West."

"No. I am going to take him to Kaede's. He'll get help sooner there."

Jakken nodded. He pursed his beak-like mouth and whistled. Ah-Un ambled out of the forest and stopped in front of InuYasha.

"Take Ah-Un and get help. I shall follow as quickly as I can," Jakken said, the usual disdain strangely absent from his voice. InuYasha maneuvered himself and Sesshoumaru onto the dragon-horse's back, bracing them both on the saddle. It took off into the sky when InuYasha indicated they were ready.

Jakken watched as they grew smaller, then disappeared on the horizon. He turned and bowed deeply to the ghost dog.

"My Lord, I apologize for not reporting sooner…"


	4. Dog In The Night Time

**Author's Note: **I apologize for taking so long for this update. I had finals to contend with. The title of this chapter is a nod toward Mark Haddon's book The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. For those who haven't read it, it is a story revolving around a child with Asperger's Syndrome. Very good read.

Also: thank you to everyone reading and/or reviewing. It seems like ya'll're liking it. I'm going to give it my best to get the next chapter out in a more timely manner. My goal is to finish the story by the end of summer (mid-August) because I won't have time during fall to write due to school and taking care of our kiddos.

**Ongoing Soundtrack: **Patrick Bernhardt (Bernard), Ray Lynch, Seether

**Chapter Songs: **Gorky Park: "Try To Find Me" :: Escape Club: "I'll Be There" :: Queensryche: "Silent Lucidity" :: Patrick Bernhardt (Bernard): "Harmony of Mother-Earth" and "The Enchanted Garden"

* * *

**Dog In The Night-Time**

"He saw me, you know."

"Hn," was all he could muster in return.

He was warm. Safe. And the large hand of his sire was petting his hair. The two full mokomoko wound around his aching, beaten flesh, lending their heat to his overworked body—even if that body was astral and not physical. He wasn't asleep, but it was the best rest he'd had since… well, since the last time he knelt in front of his father with head in lap and arms wrapped around the other inu's torso. The dark blues of the shadow world surrounded them, the colors a balm to Sesshoumaru's strained eyes. He had no idea how long he'd been here this time, protected by his father, as time flowed differently in this realm. He had but to go back into his body (which lay just over the hill in a hut in Kaede's village) to return to the terrestrial world. However, he couldn't bring himself to go back into the pain-wracked prison of said body. Not yet, anyway. The pain and emotional distress always seemed to lessen when he was with his sire.

"Sesshoumaru?" Touga asked, looking at his pup's aged face. On the terrestrial plane, the boy could hide his condition well. However, he was always himself in front of his father, his sole support. "You're awfully quiet tonight."

"Indeed," the younger Western Lord replied. He sighed once more. "I find myself more tired than usual. I am uncertain how much longer I can continue."

Touga's hand froze in Sesshoumaru's hair, trembling slightly.

"My lord father, are you disappointed in me?"

"_Never_!" Touga replied vehemently, taking Sesshoumaru's much older-looking face in his hands. "It is not possible for me to be disappointed in you, pup."

He picked up the ailing inu and wrapped his arms and moko around him. "Quite the opposite—" his voice broke "—I am so very proud of you, my son. You will always be the embodiment of perfection to me. You kill perfectly, and you love just as perfectly. My damnable pride caused this! Not you. Never you, child."

"I couldn't let him go," Sesshoumaru said into his sire's neck. "I regret nothing. I would do it again, if only to offer a chance of survival to your son."

Touga held him more tightly. "I know. I just don't want to lose you in the process. You are as precious to me as InuYasha is."

Sesshoumaru soaked in his father's warmth, dozing lightly until Touga stood, still carrying him. "You must return. It has been two days, and your mate is very worried about you."

"Do I have to?" he asked, sounding very much like a young child.

"If you do not, soon you won't be able to return at all."

Touga was impressed he could sound strong, even as the tears rolled down his face to soak into Sesshoumaru's kimono. He knew the younger male could smell them and was grateful the boy was silent. He felt the resignation (or was it sheer exhaustion?) in his son but continued to his bedside in the terrestrial realm. It hurt Touga to return him knowing he hadn't reached even half-strength, but the other option wasn't acceptable. If he didn't go back, he would be trapped in shadow until his soul burned itself out, and Sesshoumaru would exist no more on any plane. He would die a very real, very permanent spiritual death. And Touga would not allow that to happen.

As they passed an insubstantial Jakken, Touga knelt down and whispered: "Jakken, ready Sesshoumaru's pipe."

The ephemeral toad didn't audibly respond but dropped what he was doing and rushed away. Touga walked slowly, knowing it would take him a bit of time to prepare the pain-stealing drug Sesshoumaru discovered on one of their journeys to the middle kingdom. They were momentarily disoriented as Touga walked through the wall of the terrestrial Japanese home and InuYasha, who was sitting with his back to the wooden wall. A fire was burning in the firepit in the center of the only room, washing the body of the Western Lord in a flood of much-needed heat. The physical Sesshoumaru was barely breathing and shaking violently; his moko was protruding from under a mountain of furs and strangely inert. The intensity of the stare InuYasha was leveling at his body was astonishing to Sesshoumaru.

"He does feel the connection between the two of you, pup," Touga said, smiling.

Sesshoumaru smirked when he passed a finger through InuYasha's white ear and it flicked back. The dog-eared boy turned his head and looked directly at Sesshoumaru, his face twisted in confusion and head cocked. The door suddenly sliding open distracted InuYasha. Jakken entered the house carrying a jade smoking pipe carved with intricate designs down its stem, and Touga nearly laughed when InuYasha yelled at Jakken to keep the noise down.

"My Most Honored Lord Sesshoumaru is about to wake up, half-breed!" Jakken snapped back. "So move out of my way that I may attend to him!"

"Keh, whatever," InuYasha muttered but moved, giving the toad a suspicious glare in the process.

"Are you ready?" Touga asked. Sesshoumaru steeled himself against the onslaught he knew was coming and nodded.

* * *

Two days ago he watched the Lord of the West collapse at the edge of a nature-reclaimed castle. Two days ago he brought his brother into the midst of the human village he protected. Two days ago he laid the slight form of one of the most powerful demons under his own winter furs. And two days ago he began to watch for signs that the coma and unnaturally low body temperature would abate. The only thing indicating his brother remained in the land of the living was the violent shaking that racked his frigid body. InuYasha himself hadn't slept in those hours, convinced he was holding a death vigil. The bleeding never completely subsided. He would dab at his brother's nose and eyes cleaning the worst of it, but it continued pooling.

Kagome had been in and out of the house, doing her best to convince him to shut his eyes. The scant few hours of sleep he got before Sesshoumaru appeared was not nearly enough to hold him, and he found himself nodding off and on. A cold breeze blew from behind an ear and it flicked annoyingly. He swung around, thinking Kagome was entering, but caught the slightest shape of a clawed hand disappearing. However, he was jolted from his investigation when Jakken burst into the room holding a pipe with a sickly sweet smell and a small flickering lamp, proclaiming that Lord Stick-In-Ass was about to come out of his sleep. InuYasha highly doubted the toad's cognitive abilities but _graciously_ moved out of the way. Several heartbeats later, InuYasha heard the change in Sesshoumaru's breathing pattern. Golden eyes opened to the room, and he saw something he didn't think Sesshoumaru was capable of: disorientation. It was quickly replaced by a deep tightening of the skin around his eyes and a pained sigh escaped before the lord could prevent it. Jakken offered the pipe to Sesshoumaru as he lit the end. He took a deep drag of the smoke, holding his breath, and his eyes shut, body going slack on the make-shift futon.

InuYasha watched the scene in amazement. Had someone told him there was something that could knock his bastard brother flat out, he would have called the person a liar! His mind wandered to the possibility of obtaining this… this… _miraculous_ _stuff_ and sending it to Naraku. If Sesshoumaru was _that_ affected by it, surely Naraku might even _die_ from it! InuYasha took a step toward Jakken to ask him about it when a tendril of the smoke coiled around and up into his nose. His pupils enlarged, swallowing the gold of his irises, and eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell forward with a loud thud. Jakken put the lamp out with a scoffing "foolish half-breed." Kagome rushed in, thinking the brothers were fighting, only to find Sesshoumaru asleep and InuYasha on the floor, ass in the air with his arms snaking out between his legs. She glanced at Jakken as he passed, and she had taken two steps when her brain finally registered what the short retainer was holding.

"Jakken, wait!" she whispered, grabbing him by the back of his haori. "Does that belong to Sesshoumaru?"

"What? This old thing?" he squawked nervously, holding the pipe and lamp closer to his chest. "It is just a… ahhh an… an incense burner! Lord Sesshoumaru likes to… um… to um… to go to sleep with—"

"I _know_ it's not an incense burner, you lying little weasel!" she hissed back at him.

Kagome and Jakken both started at a loud, wet snore coming from where InuYasha lay on the floor in a puddle of drool. To keep from waking either inu, she dragged the toad outside to continue her questioning.

"_That_," she said, pointing to it, "is an opium pipe. Sesshoumaru doesn't come across as a junkie to me, so why does he have it?"

Jakken stared at the crazy girl. "Jun-ki? What is a jun-ki?"

Kagome shook her head impatiently.

"Nevermind. Jakken, is Sesshoumaru in pain?" she asked, kneeling to get at Jakken's eye level.

He gulped and tried heroically to look anywhere but at her. "Um… he uhh…"

"He is, isn't he?"

"_Please_ don't tell him I failed to keep his secret! He might kill me!" Jakken said and—oddly—grew pale. "Or worse, _dismiss_ _me_!"

Kagome snorted and stood. "You didn't fail. I would have purified you if you refused to answer."

* * *

Sesshoumaru lay silent, listening to the soft voice of his brother's bitch as she interrogated his ordinarily tight-beaked minion; the opium no longer put him to sleep for great lengths of time, and he was thankful for that fact as he overheard their conversation. He was impressed she had figured out his secret, even if Jakken all but blurted it out. But why did she want to know? He knew the girl wasn't a malicious being—he would have been able to recognize it in her, considering he had more experience with malicious beings to last three demonic lifetimes. He was also surprised she even _knew_ what opium was, much less that he smoked it to rid himself of the agonizing pain he lived in. Where had she learned such a thing? Sesshoumaru sighed. He would have to wait on her for his curiosity to be satisfied, and that was certainly not a prospect he enjoyed by any means.

His attention turned to InuYasha still out cold on the floor. A half-smile graced his lips as he leaned forward and ever so gently stroked his ears. They reminded him of petting his sire's ears as a small pup. The boy groaned in his sleep and curled in on himself as Sesshoumaru's hand froze above his head. He settled and continued to snore. The lord had an impulse to gather the young pup into his arms and give him what they both desperately needed—pack and bonding. He reached out for the boy but he wavered, thoughts crossing his mind about what would happen when InuYasha awoke. He huffed to himself: consequences be damned! He easily lifted his much smaller brother onto the futon next to him and wrapped his long limbs and moko around the pup, tucking his nose into InuYasha's hair at the nape of his neck. Sesshoumaru winced internally at the price he would pay on the morrow… but he was going to be selfish this once.

His mind was sluggish and unable to comprehend why he felt safe. He could count on one hand the number of times he had felt safe in his life, and something was nagging at him, telling him he _really_ shouldn't be feeling this way. In spite of this, he couldn't resist the urge to stay in the cocoon of warmth and remain floating. He heard a strong, steady heart beating near his ear, and he turned his face into the chest that housed it, whining softly. A clawed hand sifted through the fine silver hairs of his head, scratching his scalp lightly as it passed. His body slowly relaxed, and he was close to unconscious again when the scent of his brother registered in his mind. He knew Sesshoumaru knew he was awake because he couldn't help himself from tensing.

"Open your eyes, little brother."

He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. The strong hand brushed over his cheek.

"Are you afraid, pup?" the liquid voice inquired. He nodded.

"Why?"

InuYasha spoke into his kimono but Sesshoumaru was having none of it. His chin was forced up. "You are mumbling."

"Because I don't want to wake up. I don't want this to be a dream," InuYasha said quietly.

"Hn," he replied, and InuYasha felt the mokomoko snake up his legs, sneaking under his haori. "It would be good to take advantage of the time we have."

"What?" the boy asked, eyes flying open as Sesshoumaru ran his lips over the smaller male's jaw line.

"But—" he began again only to be cut off by a deep kiss, and suddenly understanding the situation was far less important than being in the moment.

For the longest time, all InuYasha could feel were the gentle touches of Sesshoumaru's lips to his own and the wandering hand roving over his chest and back. It was a slow and sensual assault on his untrained, inexperienced body, and it began fanning the smoldering ember in the pit of his stomach. He panted as the deadly hand of his brother stroked over his chest to his arm and swept down the thin, muscular appendage, taking the sleeve with it. Acute sensation shot across his chest and dove straight down into his cock as Sesshoumaru latched on to a nipple, suckling as a newborn pup. InuYasha threw his head back and cried out, beginning to thrust against Sesshoumaru's leg. His member was throbbing painfully and as he sought to alleviate the delicious ache, he found his wrist captured, pressed to the furs. Sesshoumaru's other hand glided over his hip and under his hakama, teasing the silver fuzz of his leg. He drew in a ragged breath as the fingerpads of the hand began to massage the large muscle it rested upon, mirroring the motion that would bring relief to his weeping, uncut dick.

"_Please! Oh gods, please!"_ he moaned, clinging to Sesshoumaru's broad shoulders.

"What do you want, little brother?"

"Touch me, _please_!" he ground out through the intensifying inferno raging in his veins.

"Oh but I am touching you…"

He attempted a growl, but it tapered off into a breathy whine of need. "Y-you know wh-what I mean!"

Sesshoumaru knew very well what the boy wanted and decided he'd been tortured enough. Carefully, as if he were handling the most precious of vases he'd retrieved from the middle kingdom, he turned InuYasha over and fit him snugly back to chest. Sesshoumaru tasted the flesh of his neck as his hand slithered over his still-naked chest and down into the red hakama hanging lowly on his hip. InuYasha gasped as warm skin met his most sensitive surface of his body, wrapping his cock in its pleasure-giving heat. True to this bout of lovemaking, the fisted hand established a slow, almost painful rhythm and would periodically stop to allow InuYasha's body to come down before starting the process over. InuYasha couldn't hear or feel anything beyond the rush of blood between his legs.

By the time his balls began to clench in preparation for orgasm, he was on his hands and knees with Sesshoumaru grinding his own stiff cock between his ass cheeks, two layers of hakama between them. In a blinding moment, both cried out, and InuYasha's seed splattered on the fur beneath him in milky pools. He could feel the saturated silk of Sesshoumaru's kimono and had an overwhelming desire to pull his brother's cock out and lick it clean. Both collapsed on the furs, InuYasha's stomach warmly wet. Sesshoumaru put them back to front once more, and they lay, getting control over their breathing. InuYasha's emotions were running in many different directions. He was confused by his brother's behavior, scared that what just happened wasn't real, so very in love with the elder inu, though it was not something he had ever or would ever voice out loud… the emotions continued to pile on, until he broke the pregnant silence.

"Sesshoumaru, what was that?"

"Masturbation, dear brother. Have you never—"

"_Of_ _course_ I've masturbated!" InuYasha huffed, turning over onto his other side so he could better see Sesshoumaru's subtle facial changes. His breath caught at the fire in the lord's usually ice-cold eyes, and the telltale signs of his being relaxed. _Is this a turning point? _he thought, reaching out hesitantly to touch Sesshoumaru's lips. The magenta-crested hand held the fingers to his lips, and slowly licked over each one, starting the cycle of arousal over. Then it stopped.

"Young one, go to sleep," Sesshoumaru said and moved InuYasha back to his original position. He wrapped an arm and his moko around the dumbstruck boy.

"But Sesshoumaru, I need to know—"

"Shh," the elder stated firmly. "Sleep. We both need it."

Exhausted from their lovemaking and the last week, InuYasha found that at the moment he was content to let his eyelids drop. He let himself bask in the warmth and acceptance he'd always wanted from Sesshoumaru and drifted off.

* * *

The dunes of the Nubian Desert spread before Ma'at like finely nippled skin. The heat of the midday sun warmed the vulture flying eastward, and she couldn't help but let out a cry of joy to stretch her wings once more in this manner. She rarely had the opportunity to leave the depths of her rooms in Re's Great Hall, and when permission was granted, she couldn't help but take the form of her avatar—the African vulture. Moonlight-kissed feathers with black tips covered her body, ruffling delicately in the wind currents. She picked up her speed, wanting to arrive at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal so she could complete her self-appointed task and return to her eternal surveillance.

Across the Red Sea and the great desert expanse of Saudi Arabia, and the blue of the Arabian Sea sped by. Cities in India sprawled under her, stone spires reaching for the clouds, as the barest tip of the Himalayans punctured the skyline. She banked left, beat her wings and shot upward into a northerly air current in order to conserve her energy. Shakyamuni himself was a lover of peace and unity, but there were others in India who would see Ma'at's downfall, so she remained high in the sky until she was deep in the revered mountain range. When in every direction she looked were towering rocky cliffs, she began her search for the entrance to the Buddha's abode: a swirling, colorful void neatly hidden against the side of one of the mountains. Humans and demons could not utilize it as a proper gateway, but they could sense it—a phenomenon the modern beings of the future would call a "vortex."

She pulled her wings in and plummeted downward after locating the whirlpool of color. As the ground drew closer, she unfurled her wings a bit to slow her descent. The center of the vortex opened like a yawning maw, allowing her to glide into the Indus Plane. It closed after her, leaving the bitter wind to blow across the barren landscape.

Immediately upon entrance to the otherworldly plane, Ma'at changed to her humanoid form and shook her wings out to prevent cramping. She smiled at the beauty of Shakyamuni's oasis. Trees with a girth that would dwarf even the Lord of the West's true form were scattered across the garden's terrain, complete with large capped mushrooms that could support the weight of many beings growing from between the furrows in the bark. Mushrooms and plants of varying sizes and shapes exploded in rainbows of color from the oasis' floor, and the calls of numerous birds, insects and animals were a harmonious blend of noises akin to the lightest, most peaceful of music. A doe calmly walked out from the underbrush onto the path on which Ma'at stood. She lifted her hands in gasshou and bowed slightly.

"Peace to you," she said. "Please take me to Shakyamuni."

The doe turned, took a few steps and looked back at the goddess, encouraging her to follow. She trailed after the deer as they went deeper and deeper into the ancient garden, and as she passed, the wildlife grew quiet in acknowledgement of her calling as Balance and Justice. Over streams and through briar patches they walked together in companionable silence until they reached what Ma'at assumed to be the middle of the oasis. On a small mound was a tall, white lotus bud—easily as tall as Anubis, she thought—and the aura it gave off was of love, peace, and hope. She bowed once more to the retreating doe, and whispered her gratitude.

The lines of the lotus began to glow faintly and a burst of energy shot up and out from its roots. In a dreamy, drowsy way the slender petals began to open, peeling downward from the top, releasing what seemed to be bioluminescent balls of pollen. The pinks, greens, blues, and purples spilled out as a waterfall and carried the pollen past her in a river of molten iridescence. When the petals had finished blooming, a mist arose from its center, congealing into the form of a monk in formal robes. He turned to her with a large smile gracing his mouth, crow's feet crinkling happily at the corners of his eyes, indicating his propensity for frequent and joyful expressions on his well-worn face. He blinked and light flickered. He possessed no human eyes; they had long since been replaced with silver mirrors with which to reflect a person's soul and intentions back to him or her. He walked to her with a meditative gate, and when he was close enough, they embraced.


	5. The Ghost Of Bitches Past

**Author's Note: **Yeah, short chapter. It was either a short chapter now, or 3 weeks until the next update because I have an agenda for the next chapter. That being said, if this story were a roller coaster, we'd be approaching the pinnacle where in just a few heartbeats we'd be flying down the other side at like... a million miles an hour. (How fast _DO_ roller coasters go, anyway?)

My rendition of Kikyou is how I think she would manifest until the soul collectors bring her souls to consume. (Kind of like that first cup of coffee in the morning-I can certainly relate).

Kasumi: Touga's third mate, referred to in Eater Of The Dead.

**Chapter Songs:** Lord Of The Rings :: Kitaro: "In Peace" :: Cirque Du Soleil & Kitaro: "Underworld"

* * *

**The Ghost Of Bitches Past**

Makoto found herself flat on her back. Again. Her teacher was a mature inuyoukai bitch who had whelped four grown, powerful adult inuyoukai, and damn, she could still pack a punch! Panting, Sayoko stood over Makoto with her eyes sparkling. She offered her hand to the younger bitch.

"You are much improved, pup!" her mate's mother said as she pulled her off the ground. "By the time Sesshoumaru returns, I shall have you a seasoned warrior!"

"It doesn't feel like I've improved," Makoto grumbled, rubbing her backside. Sayoko chuckled at the comment.

"Oh but you have. Just a few days ago, you couldn't hold your own against me. Now, you can stand your ground. Let's finish for the day and soak. These old bones are beginning to creak."

Makoto doubted Sayoko was as fatigued as she made herself out to be. The elder female was a warrior, blood and bone; her kata looked like a flowing dance in the practice arena, and she easily threw the larger, seasoned male veterans around as if they were gangly pups holding a sword for the first time. Makoto couldn't help but watch in awe and admiration at the bitch's skill and agility, the muscles of her shapely frame rippling with ease of movement. No, they were calling it a day because she was pregnant, and Sayoko was being sensitive to her pride. She smiled to herself. It was nice to be part of a true pack again. While the concubines considered themselves their own pack in service to the Lord of the West, it wasn't what she had been born into.

They walked to the pack chambers, out onto the private veranda, and began up the stairs build into the stone of the mountain behind the castle. The springs originated deep in a number of the plateaus, and the inu clan had long since build several tiered hot spring soak areas from them, the top most tiers belonging to the Lord and his pack. The scent of sulfur permeated the air, and Makoto sneezed. She had yet to get used to the smell of the heavenly springs. They stripped—unashamed of their bodies, as most inuyoukai were—and slid into the mineral-infused hot water, both sighing in pleasure as they were engulfed.

"I understand your first experience with mating wasn't under the most… ideal situations," Sayoko began, trying to maneuver tactfully into a serious conversation. Makoto considered her statement.

"No, I guess it wasn't ideal," she muttered. "But he did make up for it early the next morning. He said he didn't want me to think mating was strictly rutting."

"Weren't you educated by the other concubines about the differences between mating and rutting?"

Makoto shook her head. "They wanted to um—" she blushed deeply "—keep me innocent. Kinuko hoped that my lord would notice me and mate me to one of his generals instead of using me as a concubine. So she sent me away when dignitaries would um… _visit_."

Sayoko made a mental note to thank Kinuko, the eldest concubine and a lesser alpha, for her foresight in protecting her adolescent pack mate. After soaking, she had Makoto lie in Sesshoumaru's bed and rubbed the youngling down with a pleasantly scented herbal ointment Touga brought back from a diplomatic mission to Russia. It was known to relieve muscle soreness and bruising in the budding empire, and Touga was always open-minded to new remedies for his soldiers. When she finished, Makoto was sleeping, and she left, stationing guards at the door to. Sayoko meandered through the castle until she found herself at Kinuko's room. She knocked lightly on the wooden wall and entered when the concubine welcomed her.

"My Lady," Kinuko said, nodding her head regally. "It is always good to see you."

"And you as well, Kinuko. I do miss our morning teas together," she said, taking stock of the elder bitch.

Kinuko was tall, almost as tall as Sayoko herself, and her hair fell in waves to her knees—something Sayoko envied of her. Because she had been a warrior, her habit of keeping her hair very short hadn't died with her mate. Where Sayoko was hard planes, Kinuko was soft femininity, her belly pooching slightly where her uterus was seated. Her eyes were almond shaped and enhanced by a single, thin line of kohl, and her hips were gently rounded, seeming to ache with need to be grasped while her body was used to sate bestial need. Kinuko was a bitch bred to be mounted and fucked. She sat naked before Touga's first mate, a sheer black robe draped over her shoulders.

"It has come to my attention that I owe you a debt of gratitude for sheltering Makoto."

"You are more than welcome, my Lady. While she was not destined to be here, I was not expecting his Lordship himself to be interested in her, considering his own preferences. But I cannot say I am not pleased."

"I agree. I am very pleased," Sayoko said. "I know you keep records of all of your females. May I see Makoto's?"

"Of course," Kinuko replied, standing. "Follow me."

She led the former Lady of the West down the hall, past the concubines' personal rooms. The scent of sex suddenly became overwhelming to Sayoko, the quiet grunts and moans teasing her ears from the room on the left. She glanced and was met with an erotic sight. Two females she recognized as concubines were mating, the more dominant bitch mounted on the back of the submissive bitch, with a long, cylindrical tube penetrating both of their eager cunts. The alpha thrust her hips and the tube slid easily into their bodies, her breasts rubbing over the smaller bitch's back with her movement. The sight instantly aroused Sayoko, and she cursed not having a long-term lover.

"I should have one of those made for you," Kinuko leaned over and whispered. "It makes mounting male bitches more enjoyable—gives you more options, if you know what I mean."

Sayoko smiled at the devious look on Kinuko's face. "I might have to take you up on that."

They went into the heart of the concubines' quarters, into a large circular room with scrolls piled upon each other on labeled shelves. Kinuko didn't hesitate. She knelt at one of the shelves across the room and rifled through the ten or so scrolls piled together, pulling one from the bottom.

She handed it to Sayoko, saying: "Take it for as long as you need."

Sayoko laid it on one of the tables and unrolled it, unaware of when Kinuko departed. She scanned over the pup's physical description and the personal affects she possessed when she became a ward of the West. Sayoko frowned. Makoto was just a baby when her parents were killed, and the pack didn't know of her parents' death until long after she had settled into her home at the castle. Then Sayoko read her parents' names. She would have dropped the scroll had she been holding it. Makoto's dam's name mocked her from the page: _Kasumi_.

* * *

InuYasha sat up quickly, panting. As his heart slowed, the events of the past night came flooding back into his waking memory. However, the longer he was awake, the more he realized Sesshoumaru touching him couldn't possibly have happened. His haori was still securely on and instead of his stomach being sticky with his seed, his hakama were clinging wetly to his legs. He glanced to his right to find Sesshoumaru really had pulled him onto the futon next to him but the furs weren't as rumpled as they had been during their encounter. He breathed out sharply and rubbed his face. He looked over again at the peacefully sleeping Sesshoumaru. He resisted the urge to touch his brother but couldn't help staring. Had it just been a manifestation of his own internal desires? He wanted to scream at the frustration he was feeling. Being taken completely off-guard, InuYasha yipped in surprise at Sesshoumaru's voice.

"You may cease your perusal now," came the imperial-sounding order.

"Whatever, asshole," InuYasha snorted. It lacked his usual venom.

"If you are awake, leave so I may rest."

InuYasha snorted again but didn't answer. He got up and left the house, trying to shield his hakama from Sesshoumaru's sensitive nose. The younger male did _not_ need for him to know about his inability to control himself, though he was fairly sure it was something he couldn't hide from the daiyoukai. He slid the door shut and stumbled toward the river to wash himself off. While in the village, the group never stopped watching for enemies. This habit saved them on more than one occasion when a lower level demon—or horde of lower level demons—would be following the spiritual residue of the Shikon Jewel. Miroku was on point and acknowledged InuYasha with a brief nod, his shakujou jingling softly with his movements. He nodded back and slipped into the trees.

The creek was cool but not cold, thankfully. InuYasha slipped into the thigh-high water, rubbed the semen out of his hakama but quickly found he was hardening again. His sword-callused hand reached in, pulled the sensitive organ out into open air and began massaging the delicate flesh. He barked a laugh as he imagined Sesshoumaru wrapping his mouth around his length (like _that_ would ever happen!) and forcing InuYasha to fuck his face, all the way down his tight throat and all the way out again. He groaned loudly, eyes closed and head thrown back. He ejaculated with a long grunt, and the white spend broke the surface of the creek with audible splashes. He sighed and cleaned himself up, shaking the water off when he exited the creek. He glanced around the forest still shrouded in night, gained his bearings and went to find his former love.

* * *

"I do not appreciate being stared at," Sesshoumaru stated without look up from the scroll he was attending.

He continued reading until his brother's bitch stood before him. Surprisingly, she didn't approach him meekly or fearfully, as most humans do. He perched the eyeglasses he wore on top of his head. As a matter of fact, she didn't smell afraid of him at all, he realized with a frown. He was about to remedy that when she spoke.

"You smoke opium for your pain," Kagome observed.

Sesshoumaru blinked once. Twice. "Go away."

"I can help you." He started growling, but she pushed forward. She knelt before him. "Where I'm from, we have strong pain medication made from opium, and I can get you glasses specifically made for reading, if that's why you use them."

"Alright, you have my attention," he said after searching her face for deception.

"I am more than willing to go and get these things for you right now," she elaborated.

"I suspect you will not do this out of the goodness of your heart."

"Actually, I was going to request something from you, Lord Sesshoumaru, but I'm not going to. I don't want to see you in pain any longer, and everyone should be able to read." Sesshoumaru was surprised. Most humans wanted something from him. Hell, most _demons_ wanted something from him. But this human was honest in her confession. That pleased him. Rarely had he found an honest human… or miko.

"Bring these things to me, then we shall talk," he said, placing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. He picked up the scroll once more.

Kagome knew a dismissal when she heard one, and she had to bite her tongue from allowing the sharp retort boiling in her mouth to escape. If her plan was going to work, she would need to be civil to InuYasha's brother, at the very least. She bowed and left, sliding the door shut behind her.

Kagome packed her bag and prepared to leave for the Bone Eater's Well, changing back into her uniform before she did. Nearing eighteen, she had observed and learned during the years she'd spent searching for the jewel. A little less than a year ago, she'd appeared at the well, and InuYasha had been surprised she was wearing a beautiful pink and black kimono. The reason she gave when questioned was that it kept her warmer than the uniform. But she was no fool. She'd been watching how she had been received in villages, and she'd heard the whispers. One thing she could do to ensure success was to blend in and not appear in clothing that would make villagers' eyebrows raise at the indiscretion. She called her farewells and left on Kirara.

Sesshoumaru listened to the short interaction and had to admit he hoped she returned soon. He was terribly curious if the odd bitch would actually be able to help him. He browsed the remaining scrolls he brought with them, frowning deeply when he read one from the current human Hideyoshi, daring to call himself Daimyou. It requested an audience with he, Lord of the West, and a thinly veiled threat if he were to deny it. Sesshoumaru growled, the sound rumbling through the house, and he stumbled off of the futon. Outside, he ignored his brother's pack, who had become quite tense at his appearance.

"_NO ONE_ threatens _ME_!" he roared to the sky, the wind whipping his long, unbound hair around his shirtless body. Shippou whimpered and laid on the ground with his throat exposed. Sango and Miroku exchanged confused looks but wisely said nothing. They had no idea what to say—the situation was so unbelievably surreal.

The wind died down as fast as it had arose, and Sesshoumaru seemed to deflate, head hanging. He dragged his hand hesitantly across his mouth and drew back bloody fingers. They watched the Lord of the West smear the blood streaming from his nose across his face. And then he collapsed.

* * *

InuYasha climbed over moss covered boulders and fallen trees. A mist gathered at his feet, and as he went deeper into the forest, the thicker it became until he couldn't see the ground. He slowed down, not wanting to step in a snake hole this far from the village. Tendrils stretched upward from the sea of luminescent white, forming skeletal fingers that clawed at his haori. A sinking feeling formed as a hard, cold lump in his stomach and grew with every step he took. The shadows themselves seemed to come alive and taunt him, threaten him. There was an unnatural and haunting disturbance amid the trees around him. It began as a distant sound, much like that of a hive of bees, and began to get louder and louder. He had stopped walking and, though he would never admit it out loud, was afraid to take another step forward. The small hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he remembered Kikyou saying he should never enter her domain unless invited. He could hear the buzzing increase and become more defined. It reminded him of something called a "whale song" that he'd seen on Kagome's TV. But this wasn't soothing, like a whale song. It was wholly _wrong_.

"InuYasha," the voice of rotting things said.

He spun and found himself face to face with Kikyou, but not as he'd seen her before. Her face was sunken and dried, the skin pulled tightly over her skull; the thick, black hair he'd loved once before sprouted from her skull like weeds on parched earth. Her hands were the same, showing each knuckle joint as if the layer of skin wasn't there, and instead of the beautiful beige of her skin, it was the brown of things decaying. The scent of death and old soil was heavy in the air around her. He bit back his shock, having seen many more horrible things than she in his relatively short lifespan. The mist seemed to bubble and churn until it appeared to reshape into the forms of her soul collectors. The sleek, eel-like bodies exploded out of the low-lying nebula to weave their way around her decomposed figure. InuYasha realized those things were making the unnatural sound.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, the syllables coming out muddied.

"I need information, and you might be the only one I can get it from," he explained, unable to look away from her horrible disfigurement. She looked at each of the soul collectors in turn, and they sped off to do whatever task she had set them to.

"Go to our usual place, and I shall be there soon," Kikyou said and sank into the remaining mist, leaving InuYasha to find his way.


	6. Something Wicked This Way Comes Pt 1

**Author's Note: **Ok. So, regarding Japanese pronounciation: "Fukin" is not pronounced "Fucking", it is pronounced "Foo-keen". I didn't realize this was an issue until I wrote it in English. "Fukinmaru" means "The Perfect Axe".

**Chapter Songs: **Delerium: "Flowers Become Screens", "Forgotten Worlds" :: Dropkick Murphys: "Boondock Saints Theme"

* * *

**Something Wicked This Way Comes Pt. 1**

"Ahh, Ma'at, my old friend," the ancient Nepalese monk said with a smile. "How is the world faring these days?"

"Not well, I am afraid," she replied. He nodded slowly and began to walk, Ma'at falling into step beside him.

"I am not omniscient, as you know. Please tell me what I may help you with."

Ma'at considered a moment, reaching out to touch one of the epically proportioned mushroom stems while she gathered her thoughts. "I have come for… advice. You are better equipped than I to understand those of the mortal plane." She paused, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I feel I am missing something in the whole situation with Sesshoumaru and InuYasha, something that is being hidden from my eyes."

"Something hidden from the Eyes of Ma'at?" he said. "That would be a feat, would it not?"

She chuckled softly. "I do not hold myself in such high esteem that I believe myself infallible. Even gods have imperfections. But yes. It is not something that should be so easily hidden, which has led me to believe another immortal has done this."

Shakyamuni's expression became sad. "Not good. Not at all."

Ma'at remained silent. She knew from experience he would speak in his own time, and what he'd say would help her greatly. They had been walking together for a while when the Buddha finally asked: "Why are you really here?"

Ma'at sighed deeply. "Because it seems you have young Sesshoumaru's ear." She stopped walking. "There is war on the horizon, and I fear for this world if I cannot avert it. Men war with each other. Men war with demons and demons war with men. But this will bring bloodshed between the Coptic and Mortal Planes. I cannot allow it! The balance of existence is tenuous, even in the best of times. Warfare of this magnitude could severe the veils between worlds, Roushi."

The priest nodded at her words, simply listening. She gave him a sly look. "Besides, your own yaksha are guarding the sword in which Ammit is imprisoned, are they not?"

"They are indeed, Goddess," Shakyamuni said, growing serious. "The mortal realm pushes and pulls against itself in never-ending chaos. What is perceived as "good" and "evil" changes with the direction of the wind in the heart of man. I am interfering in this way because if Ammit were to be released on the populations, the balance would swing irrevocably toward one side. While I do not dare directly intercede, I have done what I can to protect what you hold dear."

He paused, a hand gently stroking his chin, lost in thought. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "But I might be able to tell you what you are missing in regard to the sons of Touga. They are Kindred."

_"What?"_ Ma'at snarled. She began pacing like a caged animal, her wings shuddering in agitation, as the pieces of the complex puzzle fell into place. "Then Sesshoumaru should be dead, but…"

A myriad of emotions played out on the Goddess' flawless face. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

_"Anubis… you shall __**never**__ lie to me again."_

_

* * *

_

Pain lanced through Sesshoumaru's body as the slayer and monk aided him in lying on the pallet. His growl came out as more of a wet gurgle with the amount of blood still dripping down the back of his throat. The two humans backed away, not knowing if their lives were in danger from such a wounded predator as the Lord of the West.

"Send in the fox kit," Sesshoumaru managed. When he saw the doubting looks they gave him, he snapped: "I'm not going to kill him. Send him in _now_!"

Quickly, they retreated from the room, leaving the demon lord alone in his agony. Sango called for Shippou, who had been playing at the edge of the forest with the village children. It had taken years of assurance from Kaede and Kagome for the villagers to warm up to the small demon fox, but when they did, it was completely. Frequently Shippou could be found helping the human females with their gardening, or watching their children while they snuck off to have an afternoon tryst with their mates. Shippou bounded up to Sango, smiling.

"Lord Sesshoumaru asked to see you," Sango said, unusually somber.

"B-but why?" Shippou asked, his tail drooping.

"I don't know. He won't hurt you, though." She knelt, getting face to face with him. "But if you feel threatened, call us. We'll be right outside, so you don't have to fear."

Shippou nodded and took a deep breath. He walked into the room Sesshoumaru was in and closed the door behind him. With a few softly muttered words, the inside of the house glowed for a fraction of a second, and he chuckled.

"Overprotective," he muttered to himself, facing the dog. The fox boy approached Sesshoumaru and bowed. "My Lord, you needed me?"

"Hankomaru," the lord stated, blood running from the side of his mouth, "I need you to find InuYasha. The barrier is down and that evil dung heap is with him."

"My Lord, he does not listen to Shippou. What shall I tell him?"

Sesshoumaru considered the other's words. "Tell him… tell him I would speak to him about the painting he found. It should be enough to pique his interest. And when you are finished with that task, find Fukinmaru and send him to me also. Tell him InuYasha is still unaware of his pack and to be _discreet_."

Hankomaru chuckled again, like the tinkling of small bells and just as infectious. Sesshoumaru _almost_ smiled in response to his younger brother's action.

" 'Fukinmaru' and 'discreet' are not well acquainted, my Lord, but I shall relay your message immediately," he said and bowed.

"Han," Sesshoumaru called as the boy was about to open the door. "Be careful. I trust not that miko."

"I will be, brother," Hankomaru stated. "And you get better. We can't lose another as powerful as you."

He slid the door shut, remembering to don his helpless fox kit persona as he looked between Sango and Miroku with big, watery eyes.

"H-he wants me t-to find InuYasha. He wants to t-talk," Shippou said as Sango checked him over to make sure he was unharmed.

"Will you be ok on your own?" Miroku asked. "I could come with you—"

"No!" he said, then changed his tone. "I mean, I can move very quickly by myself and the sooner I get to InuYasha, the sooner he and I can be back."

Miroku nodded. "Ok. But you know if you need me, I'm here."

"Thank you, Miroku," Shippou said, patting the monk's hand. "I'll be back as soon as I find dog boy."

Shippou padded off into the trees, following InuYasha's scent from earlier in the evening. As soon as he was out of sensing range, his body began to stretch and groan under his transformation. Two thin mokomoko budded from his shoulder blades and grew until they brushed the forest floor, and as his tail elongated, it turned snow white like his hair. His deep green eyes turned a greenish-gold with a puckish spark in their depths, lending a faery-like air to the short halfling. Two white foxy ears appeared on the top of his head with the tips black as a moonless night; his arms and legs were black, also, to just above the elbow and knee. He shook the cramped feeling off, enjoying the rare moment of being in his real form. He would be able to find their younger brother faster in this form and from what Sesshoumaru said, he knew time was of the essence. He pulled in his powerful aura which he inherited from his sire, and followed InuYasha's scent, moving as a white streak through the dense trees and underbrush.

* * *

InuYasha tucked his hands into the sleeves of his haori to hide his fingers' nervous fiddling. He may have loved Kikyou once, but that didn't mean he trusted her with knowing how uncomfortable she now made him feel. There was something… _off_ about Kikyou he hadn't felt when she was alive, and until he could figure it out, he remained distant each time he encountered her. He frowned. He knew Kagome didn't believe he was over this love affair, but it didn't matter. Not any longer. He had wanted Kagome—and badly—until her actions (and comments) indicated to him that she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. InuYasha sighed. Sango and Miroku hadn't helped the situation, either. Nearly a year had passed since the last time they'd discussed mating, or "marrying" to use her word, he thought, rolling his eyes. He growled softly. It would be wonderful to finish off Naraku and send Kagome back to her time permanently so he could figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life.

The fine hairs on the nape of his neck rose sharply, his instincts screaming at him to defend himself. He whipped around and found nothing behind him. Brown eyes narrowed from the shadows as Kikyou waited for the right moment to grab the insolent half-demon. She approached soundlessly and watched him look around wildly for the predator stalking him. Closer and closer she edged until she was almost on top of him. And out of the forest sprang that damned fox InuYasha traveled with! His sudden appearance startled both she and InuYasha. Kikyou could have growled.

"InuYasha!" Shippou called loudly, pouncing on the half-demon's head.

"What are you doing here, Shippou?" he asked, pulling the kit off of his head by the scruff of his neck.

"Sesshoumaru wants to talk to you."

"Keh, whatever! The bastard can wait his turn."

"He told me to tell you he wanted to talk to you about the painting you found," Shippou said and climbed back onto InuYasha's shoulder. "Whatever _that_ means."

InuYasha opened his mouth to argue, then snapped it shut. It might be his only opportunity to speak with Sesshoumaru about what had happened a few nights ago, and _maybe_ get some honest answers from the usually silent inu. He glanced around once more, hoping to be able to tell Kikyou he would be back later.

"Ok, let's go back," he said, not seeing hide nor hair of the dead miko.

Kikyou could only watch in impotent fury as her prey slipped out of her grasp. The _one time_ he wasn't protected and that damned kit ruined it! She would get her revenge on _ALL_ of them! As InuYasha and the fox left the clearing, the kit looked directly at her and stuck out his tongue. She screamed her rage.

InuYasha stopped, ears flicking. "Hey, did you hear that Shippou?"

"Yeah," he replied, grabbing InuYasha's head and pressing it to his stomach. "It was my belly. I'm hungry! Can we hurry up? Kagome should be back soon, and I bet she'll bring me ramen!"

"Why did Kagome go home?" he asked, picking his way through the underbrush.

"To get something for Sesshoumaru…"

The conversation trailed off as they walked out of Kikyou's range of hearing.

* * *

Kirara sited the village and dropped she and Kagome down softly. Kagome petted the transformed cat, thanking her, and heaved the heavy, yellow backpack over her shoulder. Waving a greeting to Sango and Miroku, she took her burden into the home Sesshoumaru was temporarily denned in. His eyes were closed but the tip of his moko flopped back and forth in agitation, reminding her of a cat's tail.

"The trip to your land should have taken much longer than just a few hours," Sesshoumaru said, piercing her with his gaze. "If the things you've brought do what you say they will, perhaps I shall be grateful enough to not require an explanation."

"Someday I might feel generous enough to satisfy your curiosity," she said, throwing the same look back to him.

They stared at each other for a few tense moments, and Kagome broke away first, knowing if she didn't, she'd have a very irate dog demon to contend with. She knelt on the floor to his side and pulled a needle out of her bag. The scent of the antiseptic hit his nose and he sneezed, eyes watering.

"Miko, what _is_ that?" he forced out through the unnatural smell, as he watched her stick the needle into a vial of liquid.

"This is morphine, and it's made from opium. My grandfather needs it because as old as he is, his recent injury isn't healing very well," she explained.

Sesshoumaru scowled. "I do not need you to steal from an old human for my—"

"Oh hush," Kagome muttered, flicking the air out of the needle. "One shot is not going to hurt either you or my grandfather. Now, this part" she indicated the shaft, "will be going into your body here" she indicated his upper thigh, "or here," she indicated her own ass. "Which would you prefer?"

He gave her a skeptical look as he pointed to his thigh, not taking his eyes from her.

"It doesn't feel good to get a shot, so be prepared for a little pain like… like a bee sting, almost," she explained.

Sesshoumaru scoffed at her. "This Sesshoumaru can handle a little—_OOOOOOOWWWWW_!"

"I warned you," she chuckled, injecting the morphine into his muscle.

"That was more painful than a bee sting, wench," he growled and… _pouted_? Did she actually see the Lord of the West _pouting_? Her chuckle turned into a true laugh.

"You'll be fine, Sesshoumaru. In a human, it can take fifteen minutes, so I'm assuming you should be feeling it—" Sesshoumaru's eyes closed, and he fell back against the pile of furs. "Huh. About now. Well, that was faster than I expected."

* * *

InuYasha entered the village, going directly to Sesshoumaru. When he slid the door open, a strange sight greeted him. His brother had pink, glittery glasses with shiny stones around the rims on his face, and Kagome was trying her best to not laugh.

"Miko, I am unsure that these are appropriate for one of my station," he stated with a straight face. If InuYasha didn't know better, he might assume his royal pain-in-the-ass brother had just attempted to make a joke.

"I happen to agree with you," she said. "But I didn't know the strength you needed, so I bought a few for you to try on."

He took them off, and she handed him a blue pair with silver cherry blossoms on the sides. He ran his hand over the flowers, gave Kagome a look, but put them on anyway.

"Now, those aren't so bad, are they?" she asked as he looked at InuYasha, his golden eyes much larger through the frames than usual. InuYasha chuckled. Sesshoumaru picked up a scroll and tried to read.

"I am still unable to read it very well."

Without a word, InuYasha sat next to Kagome as she rummaged through her backpack, pulled out a pair of green metal glasses and handed them to Sesshoumaru. He put the glasses on, picked up the scroll and half-smiled. "These work very well. Thank you, miko."

"You are welcome, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said and began putting the other glasses back in her bag. She could return them to the store the next time she went home.

Sesshoumaru pushed the glasses to rest on his head. "Ask."

"I'm sorry?" Kagome said, confused.

"I am pleased with your gifts," he said, loosely crossing his arms over his chest. "You may request whatever you would like in return, within reason. I repay my debts, and you have done well bringing these things from your homeland."

Kagome glanced at InuYasha, nervous about the reaction she'd get from him if she voiced her desire out loud. Taking a deep breath, she chose to take the chance.

"My Lord, we could use your help to take Naraku down. We are at an impasse and cannot find him."

There it was, out in the open. She mentally braced herself for the tirade that would undoubtedly come from the younger brother. Several heart beats passed and InuYasha growled. Here it comes, she thought.

"Kagome! We don't need his help!" InuYasha yelled, making she and Sesshoumaru wince. "Wh-what… so you bring him a few things from your time and suddenly you're buddies? Shouldn't he help just because we're _related_?"

InuYasha was staring in disgust at Sesshoumaru as he spoke. The boy tried very hard to hate the elder, but Sesshoumaru could see the pain behind the mask. He wanted nothing more than to take the pup in his arms and assure him of his love and protection. But he couldn't. Not yet. It wasn't time for the truth to be revealed. Instead, without taking his eyes from InuYasha, Sesshoumaru said: "Miko, please leave us."

The pregnant lull permeated the space between them, until InuYasha flew at Sesshoumaru in a rage. All of his pent-up anger, hate, confusion and longing uncoiling in his long, thin adolescent body as his hands balled into fists. Sesshoumaru easily caught the boy's wrists and flipped him around so he was sitting on his lap, though still attempting to do damage to the full demon. He struggled in Sesshoumaru's iron grip, blind and deaf until the fight had drained out of him. It was then that he heard Sesshoumaru whispering gentle words to him, warm fingers caressing his ears.

"I hate you!" InuYasha shouted on a sob, and before he could stop, tears were rolling down his face.

"I know, pup," he replied quietly. "It's alright. You're safe. No one will hurt you now."

InuYasha threw back his head and howled out his grief. Sesshoumaru covered him with one of the furs and wrapped mokomoko around his brother. He howled until his voice broke, and they turned to soft whimpers. Sesshoumaru's thick arms were all his mind was registering, and instinctively, he nuzzled the divinely scented neck of his pack mate. His ears were flat even as Sesshoumaru stroked them and down his hair, comforting the younger inu. Feeling safer than he had in some time, InuYasha fell asleep in his archenemy's embrace.

Sesshoumaru petted the boy until he drifted to sleep, breath hitching occasionally from crying so hard. He shut his eyes, intent on dozing until Fukinmaru made his appearance. Kagome's morphine worked so much better than the opium he'd been smoking, and he was feeling stronger than he had in years, thanks to the unusual drug. He caught InuYasha's slip when he said she was from another time, filing it away to examine when he didn't have so much on his mind. He was drifting on the border of waking and sleeping when the figure of a large female lion entered the room. She appeared to be a normal lioness, save for her markings. Black, vertical lines drifted across her face, waxing and waning as they overlapped, as the colors of the aurora borealis billow and flow. She was Taweret, Goddess Demoness of Birth and Guardian of the Northern Sky; Sesshoumaru knew her well.

"My Lady," he said out loud.

**Sesshoumaru. I come to charge you to hurry. Anubis has requested audience with Osiris. Nothing good can come of it, I am sure,** she said, her mouth not moving.

"I am going to attempt once more when Fukinmaru arrives. I am almost through the Citadel's defense. Have any noticed the hole?"

**No. Not to my knowledge. But I can keep Sobek away for only so long. He is sure to notice the breach upon his return.**

"Thank you, my Lady," he said, bowing his head. "It is more than I could have hoped for."

**When you get inside of the barrier, I will help you search for your brother. I can guarantee nothing, but I will try.**

"I am forever indebted to you, Goddess. Thank you for your help."

**Do not thank me yet, bravest Son of Touga. We have a long fight ahead of us if we are to save him.**

"I will do whatever I need to do to free him."

**I know this, child,** she said as she began to fade. **Be prepared, Lord of the West. I shall return as soon as I am able.**

**

* * *

**

Kagome slid the door shut after Sesshoumaru dismissed her. Though she wouldn't say it out loud, she was relieved he was going to deal with InuYasha. Sango and Miroku were working on one of the homes damaged in the last windstorm and waved to her as she came up to them. The three of them started as a pain-filled yowl split the peaceful village environment, and all of the villagers stopped, looking at the house Sesshoumaru was living in temporarily. Sorrowful howls she knew must be InuYasha's caused the hair on her body to stand up. He sounded so hurt she almost went to him, but was prevented by Miroku.

"They need to work out their problems without our interference," he said kindly. Kagome smiled at him, impressed at his insight at times in spite of how perverted he could be.

"You're right. They need some alone time," she said and chuckled to herself.

"Would you like to help?" he asked, handing her a makeshift hammer. "It would give you something to do while you wait."

"Sure," Kagome replied, taking it.

For some time they worked on the paper and wood structure, finally putting up the wall after its construction. Shippou joined them at some point, doing his best to look busy, and finally giving up when the children came to ask him to play. When the wall was secured under the heavy roof, a child came by with a bucket of water and ladle for the workers to take a break and have a drink. As they socialized, Kagome felt a nagging in her mind, where she had long since recognized her miko power originated.

"Hey," she said, looking to Sango and Miroku. "Do you feel something?"

"An older demon!" Sango exclaimed. "I haven't felt an aura like that for some years!"

"Get inside your homes," Kagome instructed the villagers as the group grabbed their weapons and stood ready.

It wasn't long before Sango pointed into the sky, toward a cloud that looked similar to the one Sesshoumaru rode. And it was racing directly to the village. When it was several yards above them, the cloud disappeared under the demon, and he fell to the ground in front of them. He landed lightly on his feet, but the sheer power of his aura washed over the area, kicking up a hard wind. He—for he was definitely male—looked like a more masculine version of Sesshoumaru, with an indigo crescent moon on his forehead and crests like InuYasha's. He was taller than the Lord of the West, and his long, silver hair was in dreadlocks and pulled into a ponytail. Around his throat was a thick steel band with intricate knotwork and two hound heads meeting in the front. Kagome immediately recognized the style of dress from Scotland, and she was immediately intrigued as to why a Japanese dog demon would wear Scottish garb. The menace radiating from this being was too much: he was as powerful, if not more so, than Sesshoumaru. However, unlike Sesshoumaru, his power was raw and untamed rather than finely tuned, and Kagome reflexively loosed an arrow at the perceived threat. The arrow hit him above the heart, but he didn't flinch. He looked at it, then at Kagome, and laughed while he pulled it out.

"You must be InuYasha's bitch," he said, his voice deep. That he would know of her surprised Kagome. She didn't know what to say as he handed her arrow back to her with a familiar smirk on his face.

"So, where is my little brother?"

* * *

9 June: I apologize for the delay in publishing part 2. The last couple of weeks have been crazy in my life. It should be out in the next couple of days.

Sekhmet


	7. Something Wicked This Way Comes Pt 2

**Author's Note: **Huh. Not sure why this was so difficult to write, but here it is. Music is the same through this chapter as the last.

* * *

**Something Wicked This Way Comes Pt. 2**

Anubis strode down the sandstone walled corridor, purpose oozing from his very pores. His immaculately braided hair swung free from its confinement in time with his noiseless steps. Two large carved doors graced the end of the hall, and he knelt on one knee in front of them. On either side of the doors were Osiris' guards—tall humanoid creatures with the heads of Nubian Ibices, large curled horns on either side of their heads.

"Why have you come, Son of Ra?" they asked in tandem.

"I have been granted an audience with Osiris, great ones," Anubis replied.

"Enter," they said and moved to allow him passage. The doors creaked open and candlelight spilled onto the warm brown sandstone floor, and the doors shut when he was fully inside.

The room was not as Anubis had expected. It was sparsely furnished and even more sparsely decorated. Incense burned in small holders at either side of the archway leading to what appeared to be a balcony over looking the gods' lands. It was in this archway that Osiris stood with his back to the jackal god. Long flowing robes of blue enshrouded his green-tinted skin, and the atef crown rested on his regal head.

"Anubis," the revered deity said in greeting.

"My Lord."

"Why have you requested an audience with me?" Osiris asked, still not facing Anubis.

"I come to discuss an important matter with you," he replied, not stepping any further into the room.

"And what matter might that be?"

Silence stretched out between the gods, and Anubis spoke again: "Permission to go to war with the Son of Touga."

* * *

Sesshoumaru lay stroking InuYasha's hair when Fukinmaru's bigger than life presence came within sensing range. InuYasha whimpered in his sleep and curled more closely to his brother at the appearance of the powerful alpha male's aura, and Sesshoumaru tightened his moko around the boy, assuring him that he was protected. Many, many years had passed since last he'd seen Fukinmaru—many years before InuYasha was born. They were inseparable to the point whispers flew around the castle hinting that Fukinmaru could have found his first mate. Sesshoumaru sighed. So much had changed.

He heard Fukinmaru land outside, and the foolish miko attempting to kill him. He would have rolled his eyes but he was too dignified to do such an uncouth thing, even in the face of such stupidity. He felt his heart begin to beat faster as the deep voice of his eldest brother rang out. Sesshoumaru couldn't believe he was actually getting _nervous_. But this wasn't just anyone. This was Fukinmaru. The door slid open, and he almost jumped—almost—when the massive form of the inu stepped through, sliding it closed softly behind him. It never ceased to amaze Sesshoumaru that such incredible power could be harnessed to perform such a mundane action as shutting a door without tearing it off of its hinges.

They stared at each other for a moment. Then Sesshoumaru dipped his head in greeting, lowering his eyes as he did so to acknowledge the older alpha and patriarch of the inu clan. While Sesshoumaru was the Lord of the West, having inherited the title from their sire, Fukinmaru was the eldest male in the family, and as such, _never_ submitted to Sesshoumaru.

"You came," he whispered.

"You need me," was Fukinmaru's simple reply.

A near inaudible whine came from the back of Sesshoumaru's throat, a slight sound Fukinmaru was sure none but he would ever be able to hear. It was a desperate sound. He stepped forward and the whine turned into a deep-chested growl.

"_MINE_!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed, his moko bristling. Fukinmaru noticed the movement and knew whatever the pup believed he had claimed was covered by the fuzzy appendage.

"Yes, yes, little brother. Yours," he said, moving slowly forward to kneel beside the younger male. "May I see what belongs to you?"

Sesshoumaru hesitated, but uncurled his mokomoko from InuYasha's head. Fukinmaru's expression grew sad, and he reached out a hand to gently run the back of it up one of the furry ears.

"So it's true." He looked at Sesshoumaru. "Why didn't you send for me?"

"All of my energy has gone to keeping us alive," he replied, looking away. Fukinmaru cupped Sesshoumaru's face and placed his forehead against the younger brother's forehead, looking him in the eyes.

"We will take care of this oversight, pup. I am here now."

They stayed like that for several minutes, strengthening their bond. Reluctantly, Fukinmaru pulled away and stood tall in the room, his two moko billowing to either side of his large body.

"What does the Lord of the West require from this one? As ever, I am at your service, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru covered InuYasha again and tossed a scroll to the taller dog.

"This is the missive I have received from the human ruler Hideyoshi," Sesshoumaru stated and waited for Fukinmaru to read it. As his eyes scanned the meticulously written letter, his brow furrowed.

"He is tactless," Fukinmaru said, eyes still roving the paper. "What would you like me to do?"

"I believe he knows I will deny him entry. I would ask that you confirm my suspicion and find Hideyoshi's army. I think it will be camped out close to the Western castle."

The patriarch nodded once and rolled the scroll up once more.

"Consider it done, pup," he said. "I shall return in a day's time."

"I will be attempting to get through one more time," Sesshoumaru said to Fukinmaru's retreating back. The dog stopped. He looked over his shoulder.

"Promise me you will be careful, Sesshoumaru. The West can't afford to lose you," he said, and then considered his words. "_I_ can't afford to lose you."

"I will prepare before I go and do my best to come back whole."

Fukinmaru nodded. "That's all I ask."

And he was gone.

* * *

In the south of Japan, a large mass of demon troops was walking. Amid the foot soldiers were wooden carts covered with grey and blue tapestries with golden dragons crawling through golden clouds—some carts being pulled by demon dogs yoked together, and others being pulled by demon snow lions. Scattered throughout the innumerable bodies were immense sloth-like and dragon-like beasts with howdahs strapped to their backs to carry the army's supplies. In the troop, demon soldiers stood beside human soldiers and exchanged friendly, hushed banter. In the middle of the moving horde were a number of carts housing mates, wives and children of the assembled. Some humans were on short, rugged Mongolian horses with saddles that were once brightly colored, but had lost the sharpness of color in the sunlight from fading. The men were in thigh-length deels, baggy breeches and khurims. Their boots were black and turned up at the toes, and almost all wore sharply pointed hats with a brim of grey fur. On pikes carried by the horsemen and horsewomen were flags with a black sun and crescent moon adorning the colorful fabric. At the head of the army were two inuyoukai in humanoid form, flanked by a number of private guards. On the taller male's forehead was a black sun with rays extending outward, and the shorter male had a black crescent moon. They each held a child and to their sides walked three males and four females. Night was becoming day, and they paused to watch the sun rise.

"It is good to be home," the taller male said.

"Indeed it is," the other replied.

They said nothing more as the horizon seemed to catch fire in the land of the rising sun.

* * *

Outside of the house, Sesshoumaru finished tying his black obi. He was up and about for the first time since InuYasha brought him back to the village after his collapse, and he was already preparing to go out again. He made a thoughtful noise as he noticed his clothes fitting more tightly than he remembered and tugged a bit on the hem of his haori. He held his arm out, marveling at how short his sleeves were and checked out the leg hems of his hakama. He realized he had the miko to thank—specifically, the shot she gave him. It allowed his body enough of a reprieve from fighting the high level of pain so it could focus on his growth; a positive thing, considering his second mokomoko should have grown in by this point in his life, and he should have been much taller. He flexed his hand once, feeling a renewed strength and steeled himself for his final assault. Sesshoumaru frowned. If it didn't work this time, he wasn't sure he would live long enough to try again. It _had_ to work.

InuYasha and his pack were milling about at a cautious distance from him. Even injured, their experience with the demon lord taught them a valuable lesson in giving the wounded dog his space. Sesshoumaru observed them covertly as they studied him, the monk outright staring. It amused Sesshoumaru that they would whisper to each other about his person, thinking he couldn't—or wouldn't—hear them. All except the demon slayer. She kept her thoughts to herself but for some reason, did not apprise the others of his superior hearing, a fact she would have known due to her line of work. Interesting. Sesshoumaru was tucking Tenseiga into the obi when Fukinmaru appeared without warning, holding his aura in very closely to his body. Sesshoumaru watched InuYasha's reaction out of the corner of his eye, as the pup's ears went flat against his head, and he scuttled a bit closer to the humans.

"Damn me if your intuition isn't spot on every time," the elder said, landing gently but still putting the humans on edge. "They are encamped a day's march from the castle. Your men haven't sensed them because there is an advanced concealing spell on the area."

Sesshoumaru sighed. "I had hoped I was wrong."

"Not this time," he said sadly.

Sesshoumaru put the final touches on his warring clothes and turned to InuYasha's pack.

"What is your name, slayer?" he asked.

"Sango, my Lord," Sango answered quickly, stepping forward and bowing.

"Sango, would you please braid my hair?"

Sango's eyes went wide at the request. Having studied demons since she could talk, she knew exactly what honor the Lord of the West was bestowing upon her.

"Yes, my Lord. I would be honored to," she replied, and almost interrupting her, InuYasha growled and spoke.

"Braid your own damned hair, bastard!"

"_Stand down pup_," Fukinmaru barked back at him, and InuYasha's ears slowly fell into his hair as he retreated once more, unsure how to respond to this dominant dog.

Sesshoumaru handed the leather strip to Sango and knelt up formally, with his ass on his heels and hands on his thighs, elbows outward. He did so in order for the much shorter human to be able to reach his sheet of hair. His eyes were half-lidded in meditation as Sango brushed it out first. With deft fingers, she meticulously separated it into segments, wanting the braid to be just as clean and functional as the one he first appeared with some days ago. Efficiently and quickly, she twisted the silky hair into a warlord braid and tied it off so it wouldn't come undone in battle. She walked to his front and knelt formally as well, and then bowed.

"Thank you my Lord for the honor," she said and didn't rise until Sesshoumaru bid her. He rose gracefully to his feet in one smooth motion by the strength in his calf muscles.

"InuYasha, I do believe your fox kit mentioned that I would give you an explanation of the painting you found. Do you still wish to know of it?"

InuYasha hesitantly nodded, eyes shifting uncomfortably between Sesshoumaru and the taller male.

"Then come," Sesshoumaru said, beginning his walk back to where he collapsed. "I do not have much time, but I will tell you what I know."

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome spoke up. When he looked at her over his shoulder, she continued with: "Would it be alright for all of us to offer our help?"

He considered the humans a moment, and nodded sharply once.

"I am unsure what help you might offer, but you may accompany me," he said, walking away even as the pack scurried to grab their weapons and armor.

InuYasha followed Sesshoumaru to his right and a number of steps behind to avoid Fukinmaru on his immediate left. The two elder brothers whispered quietly between themselves, so quietly InuYasha couldn't make out most of what they were saying. Every so often, the weird one would glance back at him making InuYasha stumble and want to retreat from Sesshoumaru's side even more. However, he wanted answers, and he was willing to put up with the scrutiny to get them, no matter how uncomfortable it became. InuYasha faced forward and concentrated on what he wanted to know about the painting. Time slipped by and when Sesshoumaru and Fukinmaru stopped, he was surprised to find them standing where he'd uncovered it. Sesshoumaru bent down and picked up the decrepit piece of artwork. His deep golden eyes roved over its surface, and InuYasha nearly blurted out his horror when he saw Sesshoumaru _smile_ _wistfully_. The bastard _never_ smiled, and he _sure as hell_ never did so _wistfully_. InuYasha rubbed his eyes and looked again, thinking it was a trick of the light. But it didn't go away.

"I remember the day the artist began working on this," Sesshoumaru said softly, as if to himself. "It was raining outside, and whenever the thunder sounded, I leapt into father's arms. I was so scared."

Sesshoumaru glanced around them at the nature-claimed building.

"We didn't come here very often when I was a pup," Fukinmaru chimed in, leaning against a tree and arms folded loosely across his chest. "I think father, mother and Izayoi only started coming here regularly after your birth, Sesshoumaru."

"I think father only did so because Izayoi loved it here," the Lord replied.

"Everything you've ever told me is a lie?" InuYasha asked, unbelieving.

"What 'things' have I lied to you about, InuYasha?" Sesshoumaru asked, his face going blank.

"Well… my mother, for one! You said you hate me because of her!"

"When have I ever said that?" Sesshoumaru growled. InuYasha's hackles went up and got closer to his brother.

"When I was little!" he snapped back.

"Do you have _memories_ of _me_ telling you that?"

"I—I… well, Kikyou told me—"

Sesshoumaru grabbed InuYasha by his haori and lifted him eye to blood red eye with himself. "I don't want to hear that thieving miko's name in my presence EVER AGAIN! Are we clear, little brother?"

Afraid of the sudden and violent reaction to Kikyou's name, InuYasha nodded enthusiastically with wide eyes. The humans stepped back from the seemingly enraged demon, looking to each other and then to Sango for an answer. She shrugged, and they continued to watch in silence. Sesshoumaru dropped him to the ground and turned to shield the group from his internal struggle to gain control of his emotions. When he faced them again, he was once again collected and cold.

"I do not have time for this. If you have no actual memories of what I've said directly to you, there is nothing more to discuss about the matter," Sesshoumaru said calmly.

When InuYasha glanced away looking thoroughly subdued, Sesshoumaru levitated over the wall with Fukinmaru and both walked into the maintained area, while the rest of the pack trickled in at their own pace. Sesshoumaru knelt again, his eyes glazing over. Fukinmaru watched closely until he found Kagome standing beside him, unobtrusively. His attention was captured by the odd female their youngest brother traveled with and how focused she was on Sesshoumaru's actions.

Without tearing her eyes away, she whispered to Fukinmaru: "What is he doing?"

"He is tearing a hole in the membrane between worlds."

"Really?" Kagome asked in wonder, her head snapping around to face him. He chuckled.

"Really. He has unfinished business on the Coptic Plane."

"What business?"

"That is Sesshoumaru's story to tell," Fukinmaru said, indicating the kneeling lord. The lull in conversation drew out comfortably between the two of them.

"Sesshoumaru is an enigma to us," she finally said. "I've only known you for a few hours but I think I've seen more of who you are than I've ever seen of Sesshoumaru."

The patriarch nodded thoughtfully. "I'm not surprised. Sesshoumaru has always been a very private pup—"

A sharp exhale from Sesshoumaru had Fukinmaru by his side instantly.

"It's open," he stated as the elder tenderly wiped away the trail of blood coursing over his cheek.

"Are you prepared?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, resting in the strong arms. "I think so."

"Pup, you can't _think_ you are. You have to _know_ you are," Fukinmaru said, lifting his chin so they were face to face. He didn't want to release his younger brother. The weariness in him beat at the elder's heart. They stayed locked in a loose embrace, until Sesshoumaru pulled away.

"I am ready."

He searched the younger male's face for anything less than complete dedication and found him to be telling the truth—he was as ready as he would ever be. Fukinmaru aided him to stand and handed him Tenseiga.

"Bring him home, Lord Sesshoumaru," he commanded.

"I will, Patriarch," Sesshoumaru replied and faced the same direction he'd used with every sortie he attempted.

It was eerily still as a soundless spiritual shockwave ripped through each of the beings in the clearing, knocking the humans off of their feet and causing InuYasha to howl in pain as he fought to stand. He was about to lie down to make it easier on himself when he felt the thick arms of Fukinmaru around his shoulders, helping to hold him up. They stared a moment at each other, but quickly their attention was drawn to the brilliant light surrounding Sesshoumaru. It collapsed around him, leaving the standing, vacant body of the Western Lord in its wake and an oppressive, deathly silence.


	8. Something Wicked This Way Comes Pt 3

**Author's Note: **Holy crap! I didn't intend to do a part 4 to these particular chapters, but I guess that is what is going to happen.

**Chapter Songs: **Assemblage 23: "Horizon", "Longevity", "Infinite" ::: Massive Attack: "Hymn of the Big Wheel"

* * *

**Something Wicked This Way Comes Pt. 3**

Sesshoumaru trudged through the shadow world, leaving the mortal shell of his body miles in the distance. His steps were labored as if he walked through quicksand, and a directionless wind tugged at his clothes and braid. With Tenseiga in hand and a single purpose in his mind, he sought the location of the entrance to the Coptic Plane. A demonic aura, as familiar to him as his own scent, rose from off to the side and grew closer with every step he took. Without a word said between father and son, Touga joined Sesshoumaru in his trek, both unwilling to speak, being so near to the realm of the gods. Sesshoumaru paused, causing Touga to halt as well. In the distance, a curtain of membrane shimmered, separating the in-between world of mortals and the infinite plane of Osiris' domain. Father and son glanced at each other, and Touga nodded, took Sesshoumaru's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. When they arrived at the skin, together they walked through it.

Sesshoumaru felt his stomach fall through his feet, and his head and the environment were spinning. The sensation didn't last very long, though it felt like an eternity. When he opened his eyes (uncertain when he had closed them), he was facing the see through shell-like barrier that protected the Citadel from attack. Immediately on the other side were large, oddly shaped trees, grown to keep intruders from seeing beyond into the backyard of the Egyptians' gods. Peering through the leaves, Sesshoumaru could just make out a monstrous structure, seemingly lit with the brilliance of the sun itself. He took a shuddering breath, feeling more than a little overwhelmed and unnerved at the magnitude of what he had to accomplish.

"One breath at a time, pup," Touga whispered, squatting down to examine the barrier.

For the better part of the last century, Sesshoumaru dug at one place in the self-healing barrier. In the interim between his visits, the hole would be filmed over, and he'd have to break through it before continuing where he'd left off the last time. It was a futile and frustrating endeavor until he'd figured out his venom could burn the hole open. And almost a hundred years later, he was close to breaking through to the other side. The hole didn't need to be large—it was just a little bigger than the circumference of his finger—but it did need to penetrate the whole thing. A number of times he'd almost been caught by the constant patrols sent out. His sire hadn't known of his actions for decades because Sesshoumaru didn't want to worry Touga any more about InuYasha. Some years ago, Sesshoumaru had slipped in a conversation with Touga due to his exhaustion, and then refused to tell him anything else. There was a vicious and bloody vying for dominance between the two, and even if he'd been at full power, Sesshoumaru didn't have a chance against his sire. Touga mounted his son, cowed him and demanded to know details of his activities. Since that time, Touga accompanied him on the excursions to draw attention from Sesshoumaru's work.

Touga indicated the place on the barrier where Sesshoumaru was almost through. The plane they were on was a strange place. Sesshoumaru needed his sire's help in finding the hole every time since he wasn't of the Coptic Plane, and Touga was, in truth, no longer in the realm of mortals. Sesshoumaru knelt and, after Touga donned the illusion of being Sesshoumaru, began to burrow into the barrier once more. Touga hit the barrier with everything he had, causing it to ripple but not break, and he leapt into the air, getting further away from his son.

* * *

Ma'at penetrated the barrier easily, it recognizing her spiritual signature immediately. She landed lightly on one of the many carved balconies and strode through the Great Hall with a deepening sense of determination. The servants she encountered dropped to their knees, heads on the floor until she had passed. Several twists and turns and staircases downward, and she entered her workroom where the multiple realities continued in their never-ending loops. The workroom shook as another blast rocked it. She had to grab onto the back of her chair to keep from falling over. Ma'at growled in her throat, looking between the numerous crystal balls. In each, Sesshoumaru and InuYasha were fighting. In each, Sesshoumaru was a full demon, and in each, InuYasha was a hanyou. It wasn't something she had ever questioned before speaking with Shakyamuni. Now, it seemed more important than ever.

"Anubis affected _all_ of the timelines with this stunt," she said with dawning realization how far-reaching the consequences would be if not allowed to balance out. Very few events in any of the realities had the power to affect all timelines; she could only count on one hand how many she'd seen in her immortal life. This, obviously, was another, she marveled.

"Show me Sesshoumaru," she said, touching the largest ball. Her eyebrow rose when she saw the youngest of Touga and Sayoko's brood diligently working at breaching the barrier around the Citadel. A slight motion behind him caught her attention, and she willed the ball to show her what it was. Ma'at almost laughed when she saw Touga hitting the barrier with his aura. Never had she cared enough to focus in on what was causing the Citadel to shudder so, having assumed—as all the others—that Sesshoumaru was attempting to break the barrier by hitting it.

"No, my pup," Ma'at said with a smile on her face, watching him work. "I should have known you are much too intelligent to expend your energy on a fool's errand. How we have underestimated you and your son, Touga."

She watched for a while. The dog was very close to breaking in, a thing unheard of in the gods' court. Unless they were deceased, mortals _never_ entered the Coptic Plane… at least, North African mortals. There were other gods on other planes, but Osiris and his incestuous family were specifically guardians over Northern Africa. It was unheard of for a Japanese mortal to try and enter the Coptic Plane. Ma'at held her breath as she saw Sesshoumaru's claw pierce through to the other side.

"You did it, you sly pup," she said softly. She slowly smiled a knowing and dangerous smile.

"Anubis, today is the day you shall learn how the Universal Law of Balance applies to you."

* * *

_Damn_! Sesshoumaru growled to himself as another claw broke off, the tip bleeding. He focused his venom through the next claw and began scraping at the inside of the hole. He was tiring quickly, but the thought of InuYasha being trapped until he died pushed Sesshoumaru to draw on the reserves he'd stored from the dog-eared warrior's Backlash Wave. He smirked, thinking how enjoyable it would be to teach his younger brother all of the tricks he knew about Tessaiga. He continued digging, his claw in his line of sight so he couldn't gauge his progress. And as he was on the verge of taking a short break, he felt the barrier under his claw give way. Sesshoumaru froze, not daring to hope for success but unable to repress the small spark of excitement filling him with renewed energy. Slowly he pulled his hand away and there, at the end of the finger-sized hole, the true colors of the trees beyond. He could see through the barrier. Sesshoumaru had a thousand different emotions hit him all at once: he wanted to cry, laugh, beat the living hell out of Anubis, and run far, far away from the Citadel. However, he did not become Lord of the West by allowing emotions to rule his actions: he calmly opened it the rest of the way, giving him a smooth entry point.

"Father, I am through." Touga continued his assault, but the malicious smile on his sire's face told him Touga heard.

"I shall return as quickly as I can," he said.

After a slight nod from Touga, he dissolved into a ball of light and began streaming through the small hole. When all of the light particles were inside the barrier, they congealed back into a large glowing ball and then he shifted back into his humanoid form. Sesshoumaru lay on his back, eyes shut and panting, resting from the large amount of energy expended on his shape shifting. Being in dog form would be ideal, as that form would take the smallest amount of energy to exist in since it was his true form, but he hadn't had the ability to shift into his true form in many years. Sesshoumaru sighed. And he didn't really have a well thought out plan because he never truly believed he would get through.

"Well, shit," he muttered to himself in a rare moment of insecurity, arm draped over his forehead. "What now?"

* * *

The tension in the small group was thick as they waited for some sign of Sesshoumaru's return. The only one who seemed at ease was Fukinmaru. He sat on a moss covered boulder, the kilt rode high on his legs and confirmed to the humans and hanyou that he was indeed male. Fukinmaru caught the young bitch staring, and when she noticed he was aware of her scrutiny, she blushed hotly and looked away. His deep, rich laughter rolled over them as he pushed himself off of the rock and ambled slowly to Kagome.

"Never be ashamed of being curious," Fukinmaru whispered closely to her ear, causing her to shiver.

"Ahh, Jakken has returned," he stated, heading off to where Ah-Uhn was about to land.

Kagome stared at the broad and thickly muscled back Fukinmaru presented to her as he stripped off the tunic. InuYasha came up beside her, both of them watching his elder brother step out of the kilt, proudly baring his well-developed body before gods and man. Where Sesshoumaru was cold, austere, this dog had a bed of embers in his spirit, waiting to be stoked into a raging fire. From all InuYasha had heard of his father, he wondered if Fukinmaru was a more accurate reflection of the late InuTaishou than Sesshoumaru: sensual, affectionate, expressive, and frighteningly powerful. InuYasha had no problem antagonizing Sesshoumaru, but he wasn't willing to test the patience of the brother standing before them. Fukinmaru took the modified fighting apparel Jakken retrieved for him and dressed, leaving the haori open after tossing the obi aside. With his long hair in dreadlocks and the torque still around his throat, to Kagome he seemed like he walked out of a faery tale.

"If I shouldn't be ashamed of being curious, I have questions I would like answered," she said, coming up beside Fukinmaru.

He inclined his head. "I will answer to the best of my abilities, miko."

"Why does Sesshoumaru hate InuYasha?"

"Sesshoumaru does not hate InuYasha," he said, looking pointedly at the young pup. "If he hated you, you would have been disowned and stricken from our clan's records. And that has not happened."

InuYasha's ears flattened, and he looked away, shaking his head to clear the confusing thoughts from his head. He _thought_ he remembered Sesshoumaru telling him he was hated because of his human mother and was hated because of Tessaiga, but the memories he had were foggy. His younger years were shrouded in chaos and disorientation. Even the memories of meeting Kagome for the first time weren't very clear. Was Sesshoumaru actually telling the truth? he thought to himself, cocking his head.

"Why can't I remember?" InuYasha said to no one in particular.

"The beads around your neck," Fukinmaru replied softly. "They have a spell on them—"

"It's not a spell," Kagome interrupted. "Those were made by a priestess. I am her reincarnation."

Fukinmaru's eyebrow rose. "Oh? So what is the purpose of the beads, miko?"

"Well… InuYasha attacked me when we first met. He wanted the Shikon Jewel to become a full demon—"

"So what is the purpose of the beads?" he asked, his voice growing softer as he stood. He had a bad feeling about the beads since experiencing the aura roiling off of them.

"To—to prevent InuYasha from attacking people," Kagome said, shrinking slightly from the dog demon.

"And how do they prevent him from attacking?"

Kagome opened her mouth to say it, then closed it quickly, thinking better of a demonstration in front of InuYasha and Sesshoumaru's much older—much more powerful—brother. Fukinmaru watched the younger pup out of the corner of his eye, and as the miko was about to speak, his little brother flinched violently. Whatever they did, it wasn't good.

"If I say a particular word, it puts him on the ground."

InuYasha barked a laugh. "If it _only_ just 'put me on the ground.' Kagome, it hurts every time you say it."

"It's not my fault you lose control sometimes!" she yelled.

"But you aren't my mother! You don't get to say when I'm being bad or not!" InuYasha yelled back. Fukinmaru stepped in between the two, pushing their bodies apart.

"Control yourselves, both of you!" he snapped.

Kagome and InuYasha immediately fell silent, but both had their arms crossed and were glaring at each other. Fukinmaru hooked a claw under the beads and examined them. After several tense heart beats, he positioned his claw between two of them and pulled, snapping the spiritual energy holding them together around InuYasha's neck. A spark ignited each of the beads in turn causing them to implode, and they fell as small, blackened stones onto the ground, burning the soil where they landed. InuYasha fell to his knees and grabbed his head, whining from the sudden pain.

"What was that?" Kagome whispered in amazement.

"_That_ was black magic releasing its hold on the beads," Fukinmaru explained, wrapping his arms around the younger pup. "It was feeding off of the energy the priestess used to make the beads. Look at me, child."

He put a finger under InuYasha's chin and lifted his head, peering into pained golden eyes. He stared long and hard at InuYasha's aura, and convinced the pup would be ok, smiled gently and soothingly stroked the puppy ears.

"You'll be fine after that headache passes, young one."

"What would've happened to InuYasha if the beads weren't removed and the energy ran out?" Sango asked, a bit unnerved when the large demon turned his piercing gaze on her.

"I know not. But the one who made the beads will."

* * *

Sesshoumaru held his breath, willing the foot soldiers to pass his hiding place. Somehow, he'd made it across the gigantic yard without being spotted, and then managed to slip into an unguarded back entrance—or what he assumed was a back entrance. He couldn't help but wonder if his luck would hold. The retreating boot steps spurred him into motion again. Sesshoumaru was about to step out from behind the pillar when more approaching soldiers forced him back into hiding. He growled quietly to himself. A flash of light and he heard the sound of bodies falling to the sandstone floor. He froze, praying to any god listening for the being to pass him by, but cursed inside of his head when he heard the near-silent footfalls and the clicking of claws turn into the darkened corridor he was tucked in. It stopped on the other side of the pillar, and he exhaled when he heard the voice of Taweret.

"Sesshoumaru, come out. There isn't much time."

He came from around the pillar and was struck by the beauty of Taweret's humanoid form. She was a tall, pale woman with raven-colored hair and a long, whip-like tail coming out from under her white robes. Her eyes were pools of glowing white, and her facial markings were the same as when she was in her lioness form: a black, ever-moving aurora across her cheeks and nose. Taweret held out her hand and beckoned for him to follow. They rushed down the corridor, each of the guards falling asleep seconds before they appeared. They were running so quickly, Sesshoumaru lost track of the direction they were heading and realized he was completely dependent on the goddess to get him out of the Citadel alive. Taweret stopped before a set of carved double doors depicting a scene of a pharaoh being embalmed by jackal-headed creatures. She pushed one of the doors open and motioned for him to enter.

"We do not expect our home to be invaded, so there are no wards or spells on any of the doors," she explained as she followed him in. Sesshoumaru glanced around what he assumed was Anubis' personal space. Even though there was a large, satin covered bed in the middle of it, it didn't feel like a bedroom.

"He is in here somewhere," Taweret said, beginning to dig around in the floor-to-ceiling bookcases. "I am unsure where he is kept, though. You should be able to feel his aura by now, I would think."

Sesshoumaru nodded and shut his eyes, hoping to block out the visual noise so he could focus on his young brother. He expanded his aura to encompass the room and slowly weeded out the areas that had the least promise. It wasn't so much that he could home in on InuYasha's aura, but there was a subconscious draw to him. He wasn't aware he'd been moving until his thigh bumped the heavy desk in the far corner of the room. Golden eyes raked over the top of the desk, looking for anything that could contain InuYasha's spirit. He rifled through the different scrolls piled on top of one another, picked up the inkwell and feather, inhaled to see if scent would give anything away. He pulled the top drawer out to find it empty. And the second drawer was empty as well. Sesshoumaru sat with a deep sigh. So close but so very far… He leaned against the back of the chair and glared holes through the wood, silently demanding it reveal its secrets. Taweret ran a hand through her long hair, sighing as well.

"Are you sure he's in here?" he asked.

"I am positive," she replied, looking around the room again. "There is no where else he could be. I have scoured the Citadel for any sign outside of this room, and there is nothing."

Clicking footsteps stopped in front of the open door, and a guard gasped as he saw Taweret and Sesshoumaru in Anubis' room. Taweret saw him a moment too late, sending an energy blast through the door and just missed him. She was about to go after him, when Sesshoumaru touched her arm, shaking his head. Immediately, she erected a barrier around the perimeter of the room.

"We will find him before Anubis returns, even if that fool of a guard alerts him to my presence," Sesshoumaru said, going back to the desk.

He knelt and began feeling the sides of the drawers for a latch for a secret panel when a shimmering against the wall caught his attention.

"Taweret," he called. "There is something wrong with the wall."

She touched the wall and her hand was violently thrown from it. "A ward. You don't want anyone to get in here, do you Anubis? And I can guess why."

Taweret's hand glowed a silvery blue, and she drove her hand through it, opening a hole large enough for Sesshoumaru to fit through. Slipping through, they found themselves in a room with a single item in it: an hourglass. The sand dropped from the ceiling and piled up on the floor, but was held in the shape of an hourglass by an invisible force. Sesshoumaru frowned. There was very little sand left in the top half. He approached, not touching the place where glass would usually be, and peered at the small, rolling dunes the sand had formed into. Motion caught his eye, and even as sharp as his eyesight was, it took a moment for them to focus on the moving white speck. His breath was stolen as he realized he was seeing InuYasha's true form for the first time. The infinitesimal dog was running across what would be, for him, large sand dunes, forever trapped in the desert environment.

Sesshoumaru howled in rage, eyes glowing red, and the small dog stopped running, cocking his head to listen. He then answered with his own howl. Sesshoumaru was about to throw his body against the invisible enclosure when Taweret stopped him.

"I can open it, Lord of the West," she said and drove her hand through it. "You will need your true form to subdue him. He has been too long away from your pack to understand what is happening except by instinct."

"I can't change! I've been feeding InuYasha my youkai for too long! I don't have enough in reserve," Sesshoumaru yelled in frustration. So damned close!

Without a word of warning, he felt his body begin to change. Long guard hairs grew out of his humanoid pores, and his face began to stretch into a muzzle with sharp canine teeth. His claws grew larger with a razor edge on them. He wasn't finished shifting when he began to shrink, and floated through the ward. He landed hard on the sand but wasn't about to complain. Taweret managed to get him in! He would be forever in her debt.

"Yes, yes," she said impatiently. "We can discuss how grateful you are when the two of you are back in your world. Hurry up! He's directly in front of you."

Sesshoumaru stood and gave his body a firm shake. It felt _wonderful_ to be in his true form again after so long of being caged as a humanoid. He bolted in the direction his nose was pointing, enjoying the breeze blowing through his thick coat. He crested the dune in front of him and found the smaller dog in the valley, staring up at him with deeply curious eyes. Each of his cheeks bore a cornflower blue demon mark, and his ears were triangular and perked in the new dog's direction. Sesshoumaru grinned. InuYasha would be thrilled to know he had a true form. He sent out his aura tentatively, wanting to test the pup before barreling toward him with the intent to mount him. The demon shyly met Sesshoumaru's aura with his own. It was a feather-light touch but enough for Sesshoumaru to feel confident his brother was a beta.

He approached the young pup with ears and tail up, hoping to set him at ease. InuYasha's head dipped, but his ears remained up, and his tail wagged slowly in a hesitant greeting. Sesshoumaru stopped close to him, close enough to smell his intoxicating scent, but out of the other's personal space. They stood, simply smelling each other, and Sesshoumaru was forcing himself to be patient and let InuYasha make the first move. The pup didn't disappoint him, either. He approached the elder dog and began nosing his flank, and when he was satisfied, pushed his nose against Sesshoumaru's ass. Sesshoumaru stood still as InuYasha pulled away and sniffed around his face, giving it a gentle lick. Sesshoumaru moved slowly toward InuYasha's ass, nosing along his side until he was positioned behind him. With a surge of rippling muscles, Sesshoumaru mounted him, but the pup didn't give in. He spun quickly and snarled at Sesshoumaru in warning. Sesshoumaru sighed. This was about to get bloody.

Something was _wrong_. Sayoko could feel it in her bones. She hadn't become a renowned warrior by ignoring her intuition, so she tore through the castle seeking anything that might seem off. Guards and servants alike fell into formal prostration as she passed, unsure what the Lady of the West was up to, but knowing when she was focused, their best behavior was required. It began after her early morning practice session with Makoto. Sayoko put a stop to the practice earlier than usual, and the two spent a bit in the hot springs. Unable to shake the ominous feeling, Sayoko left the young bitch and patrolled the perimeter of the castle alone so she wouldn't be distracted. Upon finding nothing out of the ordinary, she sought the counsel of Touga's most trusted sorcerer. She finished her scouring of the castle, and finding nothing, knocked on kTamotsu's door.

"Sayoko, do come in," Tamotsu said, moving aside.

Tamotsu was an old dog demon whose mokomoko were scruffy and worn with age. His long hair was braided, and he worn non-descript clothing more suited to a servant than one of high standing in the court of the West. At first glance, his rooms seemed crushingly small and filled with oddities he'd collected over the years. As a pup, she'd come to his rooms and would explore for hours on end. Oh how she missed those days of no responsibility.

"Tamotsu, something is in the air, and I can't figure out what it is," she said without preamble. He chuckled.

"You always were a sensitive one. Indeed, I have felt it as well," he said, taking hold of a cloth covering a round table in the middle of the first room. "I was waiting for you to show up. You're earlier than I expected."

He tore the cloth off of the table and revealed a see through crystal ball firmly seated in the center of it. Tamotsu blew on it, and Sayoko got closer with wide eyes. He grinned, showing a missing fang.

"Just a bit dusty."

Sayoko snorted.

"Alright, m'Lady, speak to it. Tell it what you wish to see."

Sayoko leaned forward, unsure of how to begin. "Uh, show me why I am so uneasy… Please?" she said hesitantly and looked up at Tamotsu. He nodded encouragingly.

They watched as the inside of the ball swirled and shimmered. The tempest began to take the shape of a field, with small groves of trees interspersed among the grass-covered downs. Sayoko's brow furrowed.

"That's the advanced practice arena," she said with no little amount of surprise of how close to the castle it was. But it was barren with no sign of life. "No one can infiltrate it unless they are specifically keyed to your spells."

They exchanged a look, and Tamotsu covered the ball again.

"I would begin my search close to your heart, Sayoko," he said, uncharacteristically serious.

Sayoko's eyes widened with dawning realization, and she bolted out of the room with a hasty thank you.

* * *

The two white dogs faced each other, circling. Sesshoumaru didn't want to hurt InuYasha, but couldn't come up with a better way to get the pup under control other than brute force. His time for planning was at an end as InuYasha lunged for his throat. He side stepped the attack and bumped the smaller dog with his body, hoping to throw off his balance. The pup gained his legs back too quickly and snapped at his leg, catching a bit of skin. Sesshoumaru yelped, then growled as InuYasha danced out of reach. He backed away and with a twinge of regret, the psychic wind started whipping around him. Sesshoumaru expanded his most dominating aura around the two of them, and as it raked over InuYasha, he rolled onto his back and pissed, terrified of the newcomer.

Sesshoumaru approached him once again, not releasing his hold but gentling his dominance. InuYasha rolled back onto his stomach but didn't move, with ears flat and tail tucked between his legs. InuYasha whined softly in confusion as Sesshoumaru climbed onto his back, enfolding the smaller dog under his warm body. His cock was unsheathed and throbbing, his hips thrust forward connecting with InuYasha's ass in spite of the tail. He continued to thrust until he was buried in the tight body beneath him. InuYasha attempted to stand but couldn't with the heavier dog on him and strong jaws holding the scruff of his neck. Sesshoumaru could feel it becoming easier to thrust, knowing he was tearing delicate skin and the blood was lubricating his entrance. The male under him was fully demon and would heal in very little time, so he did not relent even when the pup whimpered. He knotted and with a final hard thrust, tied himself within the beta male's warmth. Sesshoumaru relaxed somewhat and groomed InuYasha's face and ears in apology. Without warning, InuYasha turned into thousands of pinpricks of light and absorbed into Sesshoumaru's body, leaving the Lord of the West lying on the sand.

"We must leave!" Taweret said, pulling Sesshoumaru out of the empty prison and reforming him into his humanoid shape.

"Where did he go?" Sesshoumaru asked, expecting to see InuYasha's demon but not finding him.

"He is inside of you," she said, pushing him toward the balcony.

Sesshoumaru dove into the place in his soul that had been empty since just after InuYasha's birth and found the emptiness was gone. In its place was InuYasha' demon, curled up and resting. Sesshoumaru came out of himself and leapt from the balcony, unconcerned with raising an alarm. He had what he came for. An explosion from behind interrupted his flight, and he landed on the grass, rolling and springing up onto his feet. The balcony he jumped from was blasted open and engulfed in a dust cloud. Anubis stepped out of hole and landed on the ground.

"Come, my jackals!" Anubis roared.

For moments, nothing happened. And then Sesshoumaru felt the earth itself heave under foot. He pulled Tenseiga from where it rested on his hip and waited for the attack. In different places around the yard, the ground sank and particles of sand formed the bodies of large canine-like figures in each of the holes. They solidified into black jackals with glowing red eyes, all intent on Sesshoumaru.

"_Kill him_!" Anubis hissed, and as one mighty black ocean, the jackals dashed in his direction.

Sesshoumaru braced himself, knowing he wasn't fast enough to make it to the barrier before the first wave of devil dogs hit him, and he was never one to run from a fight, anyway. The edge of the oncoming attack was close enough that Sesshoumaru could count their teeth when a powerful wind blew from behind him, scattering the sand the jackals were made of like powder. A more powerful being than Anubis landed between he and the God of the Dead, her spiritual energy crackling around her caused the fine hairs on his body to rise. She had her back to him and her black wings spread, blocking him from Anubis' view.

"Leave this place," she said, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Prepare for war, son of Touga!" he heard Anubis bellow just before he transformed into a ball of light and streamed through the swiftly closing breach.

* * *

Sayoko barked orders to each guard she passed, commanding them to prepare for a siege. Makoto rushed down the stairs when she heard her pass, trotting to catch up.

"Mother, what may I do?" she asked, finding it difficult to keep up with the warrioress. Sayoko stopped and took Makoto's face in her hands.

"You _must_ stay safe. Sesshoumaru would go on a rampage if he finds you injured," she replied. "Go to Kinuko. Tell her to take the concubines, the betas and as many children as all of you can find to the catacombs. There are enough supplies to sustain you for some months. Go with them and _don't_ come out unless Sesshoumaru or I come to get you."

Makoto fled through the castle to do Sayoko's bidding, and Sayoko continued to the massive gate marking the primary entrance to the Western castle. The word spread like wildfire through the palace and most were in hiding or armed and ready to defend. The vendors' booths around the castle walls were eerily empty. The only sound was the wind picking up speed, heralding a storm rolling in from the ocean. Two dog demons were at the intricate wrought iron gate, waiting for her arrival.

"I don't know what I'm going up against," she said to the two of them, "but if I don't return quickly, send message to Sesshoumaru. He is within a day of Edo. Prepare the castle _and let no one in_. Listen!"

She grabbed the face of one of the young male guards who had never been to war, tears streaming down his face.

"Listen to me," she said, soothingly, "this could be nothing. But if we're at war, I need to know I can depend on you."

He nodded. "I won't let you down, m'Lady."

"Go to the catacombs now. The next Lady of the West is there with others. I need you to protect them with your life. Can you do that for me?"

The young male nodded again. "Yes."

"Good. Go!" Sayoko commanded, and the young man fled back into the castle. She turned her attention back to the other guard. "If I don't return, send word to the Lord of the West. Is that understood?"

"Understood," he replied.

Sayoko exited the gate and watched as it shut with a resounding thud. Her body was wracked with chills, but she viciously suppressed them. Now was not the time to second-guess. On a turret overlooking the field she was in, stood Tamotsu. His face was contorted in concentration and in moments, a humming screen appeared around the castle. Not just a barrier, but a death trap for any who would dare touch it. She hoped it would keep out whatever lay in the advanced practice arena.

Saying a short prayer in her head, she shifted into her true form and let out a mighty bay that shook the ground. Many who would attempt to conquer the West were quite intimidated by the sight of a demon's true form, so she hoped she could provoke fear into what was waiting. She shot into the air high over the surrounding countryside, the hills and trees becoming small to her sight. Her black nose was ever moving as she attempted to catch even the faintest scent of what she was up against. Over the rise ahead of her was the advanced arena, training grounds for those who completed the first five levels of training under the West's best fighters. She decided where she would touch down and descended, and her landing kicked up a geyser of dirt and rock.

She placed her nose to the undisturbed ground but scented nothing. She trotted over the rolling downs, occasionally expanding her aura outward to check for intruders, but there seemed to be nothing. She ranged to and fro and managed to cover most of the area Touga had marked off and found nothing of significance. Sayoko was about to head back to the castle and a noise caught her attention. A slight scraping of metal on metal, then the world was spinning perilously. Her head hurt from hitting it on a rock, and she couldn't move her body very far. When she could see without getting dizzy, she found she was encased in a wide net with weights on the ends of the rope, and she was pinned to the ground. Two powerful alpha male auras surrounded her, and she growled reflexively.

"Look what we've caught," one voice said.

"Hn," the other agreed. The two appeared in front of her, and she snarled at them upon recognition.

"Well, hello mother."


	9. The Calm Before The Storm

**Author's Note: **Yeah, short chapter. Next one should be longer. And I still don't own InuYasha. And I still don't make money off of this.

**Chapter Soundtrack: **Mike Oldfield: "Celtic Rain" ::: Enigma: "Modern Crusaders"

* * *

**The Calm Before The Storm**

Deep in the unexplored region beyond InuYasha's Forest, she lay underground and prepared herself for another attempt at capturing the foolish half-demon. She felt her soul collectors stirring above ground, getting restless for night to descend so they could begin prowling once more for unsuspecting spirits on which she fed. It was rare for her to be up and moving about during the daylight hours, because humans were more able to tell she wasn't a natural being any longer in bright light than in the darkness. And, unfortunately, she depended on the fickle human heart to turn the villagers against InuYasha and his pack. She snarled upon remembering his betrayal and renewed her vow to drag him to the deepest pits of hell!

Suddenly, her body drew into itself painfully and stole what little breath she had. She remained like that for several tense moments, and then something exploded within her. It felt as if her soul was being ripped from her body again. Immediately, Kikyou knew someone had removed the beads from around _HIS_ neck. There was no other explanation. The damned sorcerer warned her if someone powerful enough removed them, she would be in agony due to the fact her spiritual energy went in to creating the beads of subjugation and the spell he'd cast on it was directly tied to her soul. Even as she writhed in pain, her mind desperately sought to blame someone and could only come up with Sesshoumaru, who she had spoken to only a handful of times. He may have been powerful enough to remove them, but InuYasha was leery of him, at best—causing InuYasha to believe Sesshoumaru hated him was one of her more successful campaigns against InuYasha's family, in her opinion.

As quickly as the pain began, it ended, and left her gasping in a deep, cleansing breath. With a thought, she sent her soul collectors out and came out of the ground in an explosion of dirt; in spite of the soil, her hakama and haori were pristine. A frown graced her once beautiful face as she contemplated her next step, considered the knowledge she now possessed of the dog she sought to bring down.

* * *

Kagome was utterly intrigued by Fukinmaru. Since the rosary's removal, the group questioned the elder inu about his life and experiences, and when the conversation turned to Sesshoumaru, he gently told them they would need to talk directly to the other dog to receive answers. His voice was deep and rich and mesmerizing as he spoke of the different countries he'd visited with Touga. And they laughed at the amusing story of how he'd made a major faux pas in front of the youkai attendant of the middle kingdom's emperor almost thirteen hundred years prior, the determining event which permanently stripped him of the title of Heir to the Western Lands, which he had been immeasurably thankful for.

"Father," Fukinmaru mused, "always believed I threw that rock on purpose, so I would be banned from the Axis Seat." He chuckled. "Some years later, I confirmed he was correct. Being Patriarch has a host of responsibilities tied to it, and so does being the Western Lord. I had no desire to hold both titles, like our sire did, and I couldn't get out of being Patriarch. It still amazes me how well he fulfilled both roles."

Kagome couldn't tear her eyes from him as he spoke, his dreadlocks shimmering in the afternoon sun; his were much smaller and appeared well cared for, rather than the tangled messes of the pseudo-hippie dreadlocks she'd seen coming out of the United States. His hair was begging to be touched, but she didn't know if it was her budding infatuation with him or the demonic power writhing over his skin, making him nearly irresistible to those who would naturally be prey. During the hushed conversation, InuYasha stood and vanished over the wall, and Kagome noticed just as the billowing fire rat robe disappeared in the lush greenery. She sighed deeply and seemed to deflate. She looked back at Fukinmnaru and was surprised when he caught her eye, gestured with his head for her to follow the younger male. She got up quietly and slipped around the wall. Kagome searched for the better part of an hour for InuYasha, and the warrior remained hidden. Her feet were beginning to hurt when she leaned against a tree and looked around, finding herself in visual range of Sesshoumaru's blood streaked face. The corners of her mouth drooped into a frown. Everything she thought she knew about InuYasha's family was turning out to be wrong: it was obvious Sesshoumaru didn't hate InuYasha, and the two of them were not the only children the mighty Touga fathered. What other secrets could this enigmatic family possibly contain? Kagome thought with a deep sigh.

"Why?" she asked the unmoving figure of the Western Lord. "Why have you let InuYasha believe you hate him if you really don't? It has nearly destroyed him." She shifted her weight onto her other foot. "For his sake, I hope you have a damn good reason, Sesshoumaru."

Kagome started as a fat drop of water hit her hand. It couldn't be raining on such a beautiful day, could it? She glanced up to see if there were clouds in the sky, and another fat drop fell on her forehead. She wiped the drop off of her face and brought her fingers to her lips. Salt water. She looked up through the branches of the tree she was under and caught a flash of red high in the canopy. Kagome made a frustrated sound at the inconvenience of her kimono, then tucked the ends into her obi like a paddy worker and began to climb. At some point, she looked down and panicked.

"Big mistake, Kagome," she whispered to herself, clutching tightly to the tree. "Don't look down, just keep going."

InuYasha was sitting on a thicker branch, staring down at the still form of his half-brother. Tears would gather in his eyes and roll down his cheeks, but he didn't seem aware of them. Kagome pulled herself to the branch next to the one InuYasha was on and sat with him. When she had been sitting there long enough to know he was ignoring her, she cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"May I speak with you about something, InuYasha?"

"Keh, whatever," he replied, his voice sounding steadier than his face indicated.

"I know it's not going to mean much right now, but I would like to apologize for not removing the rosary," she said softly. "If I had known they were a threat to your life, I would have removed them much sooner."

"You would have removed them because they were a threat to my life," InuYasha whispered, shaking his head. He gave her an incredulous look. "Did it ever occur to you Kagome that_ damned word_ was the biggest threat to my life? Are you really so blind when it comes to me? Did you _never_ hear my nose break, or see the odd angle my arm lay at sometimes? The days I disappeared afterward, I was in hiding from you so I could heal before you said it again on the off chance a fractured bone would send me to my father before my time."

The last words were yelled at the young miko. A tense, palatable sadness hung between them until InuYasha leapt out of the tree, anxious to be away from the egocentric future child. At the base of the tree, Fukinmaru watched the young male soar higher into the canopy and out of sight.

* * *

Sayoko was roughly tossed, spitting and snarling, at the feet of a rancid smelling male human. Her bonds were not enchanted—as far as she could tell—but even so, she was unable to move. It was a conundrum that frustrated her and pissed her off to no end from the very moment of her capture. Dragged across stony ground and through rivers, her youkai had completely consumed her by the time the twin inuyoukai brothers "presented" her to the Daimyou Hideyoshi, and any spark of intelligence was gone, buried deeply within the raging savage. Rancid Man had to raise his voice over the deep chested growling in order to be heard by the lines of soldiers behind him, entreating them to summon Hideyoshi himself to receive the magnificent offering from the Sons of Touga.

Soon, the crowd of soldiers parted and a triangularly shaped man walked slowly down the path created by the exhausted men. He stopped close enough to the thrashing dog demon to be able to touch her, if he so wished. And he did, much to the surprise and admiration of the humans gathered around. Hideyoshi submerged his hand in Sayoko's silky fur, groaning softly to himself at the luxurious texture. The twins exchanged a covert glance, and the tall male with the black sun on his forehead bowed with a foppish flourish. Even kneeling on the ground, the inuyoukai alpha male was almost as tall as Hideyoshi.

"My Lord Daimyou," he fawned, "my mate and I hope she meets… _all_ of your expectations. We would love nothing more than to forge a solid alliance with you and give the West its true leader."

Hideyoshi was thoughtful as he circled the large dog.

"She is certainly beautiful," he said, as if he hadn't heard the inuyoukai speak. "Kaemon?"

"My Lord?" Kaemon said as he stepped forward.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't dogs pack animals?" Hideyoshi asked the samurai.

"Indeed they are, my lord."

"And aren't dog demons the same as dogs regarding pack behavior?" he continued questioning, not taking his eyes from the kneeling dog demon.

"My Lord, we have discovered dog demons have stronger familial ties than mortal dogs," Kaemon replied.

"Ahh. Thank you," the Daimyou said as his man stepped back in line. The air was thick with the scent of the human male's mistrust, so much it was nearly stifling the three demons.

"Forgive me if I do not take your story at face value. I did not get to where I am today by trusting everyone petitioning for my favor."

"My Lord is wise to know inuyoukai have strong family ties," the tall inuyoukai male said calmly. "However, a little known fact in the demon world, much less to humankind, is that those ties can be severed. When we are banished from our homeland, we are released from the service of our family and become outsiders."

"And how does this relate to you?" Hideyoshi asked, crossing his arms.

"We were banished many years ago—centuries now—and have lived in Mongolia since. We have returned for vengeance."

The gears were turning in Hideyoshi's head. It would be a great asset to have such powerful, knowledgeable allies to aid in the infiltration of the West's defenses. It would also be a huge blow to the arrogant Lord of the West when he discovered his own family helped plot his downfall. Poetic, really, Hideyoshi thought. But there was one more thing.

"Why were you banished?" he asked the inuyoukai.

The large male's upper lip curled into an angry snarl. "I have a… proclivity my lord father couldn't live with. I have a taste for the flesh of inuyoukai."

* * *

Kagome carefully climbed down the tree and was met with Fukinmaru's back.

"You must hate me now," she said, brushing off her kimono. "I know I hate me now, and I'm not even related to him."

"Hate you?" he asked, checking over his shoulder to make sure she was covered. "Why would I hate you?"

"I'm not stupid. You're a dog demon. You heard what InuYasha said," she replied, choking on a sob. "I've been injuring him with that damned necklace. How could I have _missed_ that? Am I really that callous?"

"Look at me," he said, lifting her chin. "Children have to be taught how to be considerate of others' feelings, and how to communicate appropriately instead of acting out on emotion. You and he are still children, and neither of you have been shown differently."

Fukinmaru released her chin, caught a tear on his claw and showed it to her. "You are not callous and uncaring because of this."

Kagome sighed deeply. "I feel guilty, though. Like it was obvious to everyone but me just how much I was hurting him."

Fukinmaru smiled gently. "InuYasha has many lifetimes to wallow in what could have been. You have one short human lifetime to be in this world, so don't let your mistakes conquer you."

Before either of them could say anything else, a sharp exhale brought Fukinmaru's attention immediately to Sesshoumaru. The Lord of the West crumpled to the ground, unable to hold himself upright any longer, and the elder male wrapped him in both of his moko, ignoring the large amount of blood smearing on the white fur.

"Sesshoumaru," he whispered, tenderly brushing the lord's silver hair out of his eyes. Sesshoumaru groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked, trying to orient himself, and when he realized he'd returned, he struggled weakly to get up.

"Stop," the Patriarch commanded, and his movement ceased. "You are safe for the moment. Did you retrieve it?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes at a wave of dizziness but managed to nod.

"Good. We can stay here until you recover—"

"No," Sesshoumaru interrupted, his voice breaking. "We cannot."

Fukinmaru's scent changed as he hissed out: "Do you dare challenge me, pup?"

"No, Patriarch," he said, looking at his elder brother. "Anubis has declared war against the West."


	10. The Art Of War Pt 1

Chapter Songs: Moby: "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" (last scene with InuYasha and Sesshoumaru)

* * *

**The Art Of War**

In spite of Sesshoumaru's sense of urgency, he fell into a hard sleep on Fukinmaru's lap. The elder had Kagome fetch spring water, and he carefully cleaned the blood from himself and the sleeping lord. When his task was done, he bid all who were going to follow them to the West to pack and be ready for the journey—haste was of the utmost importance. Because InuYasha's pack were used to setting up and breaking down camp quickly, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kagome were ready faster than Fukinmaru anticipated, earning them a pleased nod. When everything the demons had brought was packed, Fukinmaru holding Sesshoumaru, Ah-Uhn with Jakken, and Kirara carrying the humans and Shippou took to the sky. InuYasha leapt after them with Kagome on his back.

"I am sorry, InuYasha," Kagome said as they followed the silver cloud trails from Fukinmaru.

"I know," he said, turning his head so she could hear him.

Kagome threw her arms around his neck, smiling like a fool. "I will make it up to you!"

InuYasha choked and she quickly loosened her grip with a muttered 'sorry.'

"S'alright, wench," he muttered, smirking and showing an ivory colored fang. "Just… _listen_ to me next time, okay?"

"Okay," Kagome replied, sharing a smile with him. She glanced up as InuYasha's elder brothers flew by overhead and distractedly asked: "Do you know where the Western Castle is located?"

InuYasha snorted. "Of course I do. Any and all inu demons know where it's located. Even 'filthy hanyou' like myself."

"Don't call yourself that!" she growled at him. "You are amazing, InuYasha."

"It's no more than what Sesshoumaru thinks of me," he sighed.

She leaned closely to his ear. "What if he's telling you the truth?"

His ear flicked back as her warm breath caressed the soft fur. It took him a moment to collect himself to formulate an answer due to his cock's reaction to her breasts pressed against his back when she leaned forward. He growled, then cleared his throat.

"If he's telling the truth and my memories aren't accurate… I—I don't know."

Kagome hugged him as best she could while he ran. "If he's telling the truth, it means Kikyou has lied to you."

She could feel the sadness rolling off of him and regretted speaking of Kikyou for his sake. Her heart lifted when she heard a mournful "I know" come from him. Quickly thinking of a way to distract him from the misery she'd just caused, she pressed herself closely to him again and giggled. He gave her a questioning look.

"Well, if you know where the castle is, we can't let your brothers beat us there," she said conspiratorially.

InuYasha grinned back at her, picking up speed.

From above, Fukinmaru smiled at the interaction between InuYasha and his young bitch. He wasn't a dog to eavesdrop—it was far below his station to do so. However, when Sesshoumaru's name was mentioned, he couldn't help but listen more closely, and he found himself pleased with the way she handled the pup. And with the way InuYasha's body reacted to her, Fukinmaru determined he would speak with Sesshoumaru about mating her as well. It would please the young male, of that he was sure. Fukinmaru's face grew serious when he glanced at his burden. Sesshoumaru was pale and sweat was beading on his skin, a worrisome situation considering he was supposed to have demonic healing abilities. Though he recalled a letter wherein Sesshoumaru explained his body no longer healed at a typical demon's speed, Fukinmaru didn't realize how bad it actually was for the lord. Leave it to Sesshoumaru to understate a problem, he thought irritably, looking down into Sesshoumaru's sickly pale face. A feeling of dread welled in Fukinmaru's chest as his younger brother's breathing got shallow.

The younger alpha male began to thrash and struggle suddenly in his arms. Fukinmaru fell from the sky, catching himself only when they were mere feet above ground to land smoothly. In a flash, Sesshoumaru leapt from his arms, landing on his hands and knees, panting in the dirt as the group of humans quickly circled, concerned. Fukinmaru was wary as Sesshoumaru thrashed and clawed at the ground in pain, his luminous golden eyes now blood red. With his two moko, he pressed the humans back behind his own body, just in case…

Sesshoumaru stopped fighting, and his head snapped up as the most ungodly howl tore from within. The sound of ripping flesh and clothing had the humans turning their eyes from him. InuYasha watched in morbid fascination as the Lord of the West, who never would utter a sound of pain, howled as if he were being tortured. Tears of blood rolled down his pale cheeks, and it seemed as if something were crawling around beneath his clothing. InuYasha was about to take a step forward when Sesshoumaru's haori ripped apart, his back a writhing mass as his skin stretched taut in unnatural ways.

Silence descended. It was only a moment, but a moment InuYasha would relieve in nightmares for years to come—the culmination of stark terror that he was losing Sesshoumaru and the deep fear of being alone. Their eyes met for the briefest heartbeat before the full demon all but exploded into his true form, waves of youkai billowing outward like a spiritual tsunami, bowling over ancient trees and large boulders. The monstrous white dog threw his head back and howled, a great and terrible sound that had the humans and lesser demons cowering behind the rather pleased-looking Fukinmaru. As the echo of his cry died, the demon dog's head swayed back and forth, as if looking for something or someone, staggered and collapsed onto his side. The furred body began to shrink and contort, forcing the animalistic form back into Sesshoumaru's humanoid shape.

Only when Fukinmaru approached the lord's prone, bloodied body and gently began cleaning him off did InuYasha realized a second moko had grown from Sesshoumaru's left shoulder. The new moko shivered and shook the bits of flesh and blood off of itself without conscious effort from Sesshoumaru. Fukinmaru glanced at InuYasha's approached and smirked.

"It would seem our Sesshoumaru has finally grown up."

* * *

Hideyoshi couldn't believe his luck. Sons of Touga who were more than happy to betray their kin to further his agenda! Hiding his rising excitement from his face and soldiers (but not from the sensitive noses of the three inuyoukai), he nodded casually.

"I see," he replied to the larger male's explanation. Hideyoshi glanced around the lip of the valley, and the inuyoukai felt a distinct change in the air, one the non-magical humans would never have sensed. The lesser alpha, tucked behind his alpha mate, smirked wickedly.

"Come and let us speak of our alliance," the human said and turned.

A heartbeat too late, Hideyoshi felt the rising aura of foreign demons, and the sky was suddenly lit up with streaks of glowing pink arrows. They rained unerringly down on his sorcerers, whose soldier uniforms didn't fool the miko with the weapons. Each fell dead without so much as a whimper escaping. Sayoko felt the chaotic auras rise around her, and then the scent of Haku, the younger, less dominant twin, and his venom. In moments, she was free. Her mind returned but the bloodlust was thrumming deeply inside. She lifted her head, scenting the wind. Her mind recognized the males who were formerly her pups: Haku, Kon… pack. She turned and attacked the wall of human soldiers rushing the three dogs.

"You should have trusted your intuition, human," Kon snarled. He took a defensive stance, stretching out his arms and releasing two venom whips from either of his fingertips.

The first flick of his wrists contacted with a number of soldiers. Heads and upper torsos fell to the ground with little blood as the burning green whips cauterized the wounds before they could ooze red. The scene played out so quickly, it took the soldiers and Hideyoshi several shocked moments to comprehend they were being attacked. Haku joined in with his own whip, and Sayoko ploughed through the mass of human flesh as the army scattered in abject terror. Kon walked slowly toward Hideyoshi, his two mokomoko rising behind him like scorpion tails, poised to strike.

"To think we would betray our pack for _you_ is the height of arrogance," Kon's harsh voice raked over the Daimyou. "And it will be the last of your sins against this country and its people."

Kon punctuated his statement by impaling two men on either side of Hideyoshi with his moko. They coughed up blood, gurgling and sputtering, tainting the pristine white fur with streaks of red. He tossed them casually over his shoulders, and they fell hard, the crunch of bones causing Hideyoshi's face to turn green from the morbid sound. Their eyes met. Hideyoshi shook his head—in denial of his fate or in supplication to the enraged god of war standing before him, it was not known. His head separated from his body as Kon's whip sliced cleanly through his flesh and bone.

* * *

InuYasha couldn't stop staring. If Sesshoumaru was beautiful before his maturation, he was positively ethereal now. His hair hadn't grown but it was more… more… _more what?_ he thought. _Shinier? Thicker?_ He sighed to himself. Even the bastard's scent was more rich somehow, more enticing. Since his transformation, Sesshoumaru had gone around without a haori since his old ones wouldn't fit, and his hakama were closer to his knees than his ankles. And he'd never seen Sesshoumaru without shoes! He never thought clawed toes could be so… attractive. However, the real issue for InuYasha was the inability to look away from his elder brother's muscular chest and the four dark magenta stripes on either side of his body. They originated from one large stripe down his spine and wrapped around his rib cage, following the line of his body, all pointing downward diagonally on his stomach. InuYasha couldn't recall ever seeing so many vibrant markings on one single demon, which could only mean one thing: Sesshoumaru was one highly venomous motherfucker.

InuYasha contemplated this as he sat distanced from the group. It had been less than a day since Sesshoumaru's maturation, and InuYasha couldn't concentrate on anything but the large inu's form caressed by the flames of the small bonfire in the middle of camp. He was jarred out of his thoughts by Shippou's small body hopping into his lap. The kit turned around once and settled in to listen to Fukinmaru's stories. They watched the group's responses to the dreadlocked dog, and InuYasha marveled at the way Fukinmaru seemed to be able to put all of the humans at ease with his boyish half-smile and tales of countries and people so very far away. InuYasha glanced across the fire to see Sesshoumaru's unwavering, intense gaze on him. It sent a shock of awareness through his body and soul, and he looked down quickly, not able to withstand the stark possession he saw there. InuYasha handed the kit to Kagome, earning a curious look from her as he disappeared into the underbrush.

InuYasha's emotions were running riot. His heart was beating painfully, and he was aware of every thorn scratch and nettle burn on his skin as he bolted. Thunder rolled in the background, and it began to drizzle. InuYasha ignored the budding storm and continued running. He felt himself being pursued, which fueled the adrenaline dump in his body, and he leapt, clearing the canopy of ancient trees. He knew it was dangerous to be out from the shelter of the trees in a thunderstorm but didn't care—his heart was aching, and he didn't know how to stop it. He expected to be overtaken quickly but it didn't happen. The pursuer was simply following and not attempting to attack or overrun him. As the rain began to pour, a rage boiled in InuYasha the deeper they went into the forest until he needed to face the demon. He leapt one last time and flipped so he was looking back the way he came, his naked feet leaving long skid marks in the mud. He pulled Tessaiga and waited. His breath hitched as Sesshoumaru calmly walked out of the darkness like a shining white deity.

"What do you want, bastard?" he snapped, holding white-knuckled to the transformed fang.

Sesshoumaru held his hands up slowly, a gesture of peace. "I wanted to see if you were alright."

"Yeah? Why the hell do you care?"

"InuYasha—"

"You know something, I don't care," the boy interrupted. "I can't trust anything you say!"

Sesshoumaru felt as if he'd been struck and was surprised when InuYasha swung the sword at him. He jumped backwards, out of the way of the blade.

"InuYasha, I didn't come here to fight!" he entreated as the young male took another running swing at him, forcing him to retreat again.

"Of course you did!" he hissed, swinging wildly. "All you ever DO is fight with me! So draw your damned sword and FIGHT me, you son of a bitch!"

Sesshoumaru had a mere moment to decide what to do, and he followed his instincts. He knelt in the mud and rain, opened his arms to InuYasha and bared his throat. The action stopped InuYasha where he stood, recognizing the submission in the gesture.

"What are you doing?"

"If you need to kill me pup, I can do no less than allow it," Sesshoumaru explained, his voice neutral.

InuYasha's harsh breathing was muffled by the storm around them. They stared at each other, Sesshoumaru attempting to communicate through his body language what InuYasha would not hear him say. He knew he'd won this round when InuYasha lowered the sword, rested the blade on the ground. Sesshoumaru's gut clenched. The pup appeared so very young and so very lost. Without thinking, he stood and pulled him into a tight embrace. InuYasha resisted, his body tense, but when his skin met Sesshoumaru's, he realized he was cold. The warmth of the elder was a siren song, and he melted into Sesshoumaru's arms and moko.

They could have remained entwined for minutes or hours: the embrace seemed suspended in space and time. When the need for connection had passed, the brothers walked back to camp. InuYasha's arms remained around Sesshoumaru's waist, needing the physical touch. Sesshoumaru's arm gently held him close. At camp, Sesshoumaru wouldn't release InuYasha and curled around him on one of Kagome's sleeping bags laid out under an enchantment protecting the surrounding area from the rain. Shippou peered over Miroku's shoulder, rubbing his eyes sleepily. When he saw Sesshoumaru and InuYasha, he stepped on Miroku's face—earning a muffled "ooof!" from the monk—for leverage to get to the brothers. As soon as he was curled up with them, Fukinmaru also lay down behind InuYasha and added his warmth and moko to the familial pile. For the first time in InuYasha's memory, he fell asleep with the scent of pack heavily in his nose.


	11. The Art Of War Pt 2

**Author's Note: **Goodness! It's been a while since I've posted. School has been particularly brutal this semester, but I wanted to get something out, since it's been so long. (And I still don't own InuYasha or anything pertaining to him).

* * *

**The Art Of War Pt. 2**

The battle raged for hours. With Sesshoumaru and Fukinmaru aiding, it took a minimal amount of time to flush Naraku out of his hiding place. However, every time one of the group contacted the slimy purple and black flesh of the hanyou with a weapon, the wound closed quickly, and they were back to square one. As he sliced through a tentacle with Bakusaiga, Sesshoumaru noticed the humans moving more slowly. They were growing tired, and InuYasha was very, very angry. Fukinmaru closed in on the shapeshifter numerous times with his huge double-headed axe and sliced through his body only to have it regenerate repeatedly. They exchanged a confused look, but the large dog continued attacking.

Sesshoumaru was becoming frustrated as well. A _hanyou_—of all things—would not defeat the Lord of the West! He removed himself and floated quietly above the fight, observing Naraku's patterns. A familiar pull on his spirit had Sesshoumaru narrowing his eyes dangerously at the evil half-demon, and he paid even closer attention to his attacks. A tentacle flew at Miroku. He ducked, and it hit Kagome's face, knocking her back several feet. Kirara spit a long stream of living fire at him, consuming half of his body, but it grew back within moments of being burned. The Wind Scar slipped in behind the fire and tore Naraku's body apart; the small pieces of purple goo began congealing back into his familiar form. A flicker in the aura of the dark hanyou caught Sesshoumaru's attention, and he knew with certainty what they needed to do.

InuYasha started when Sesshoumaru landed abruptly next to him, sheathing Bakusaiga. InuYasha's first thought revolved around the possibility Sesshoumaru was really working with Naraku, but dismissed it when the full demon drew Tenseiga.

"Attack me with the Wind Scar," came the imperial order.

"_What?_" InuYasha whispered, confused. Sesshoumaru grabbed the lapel of the fire rat robe, pulled him face to face. Obviously his little brother needed encouragement.

"I didn't stutter, _hanyou_," he hissed. "Attack me!"

"With pleasure, _asshole_!" he replied and swung. His mind was in a battle frenzy and couldn't discern anything save the insult.

When the brothers began trading blows, Kagome and Miroku were shocked to find them fighting again and failed to pay attention to the immediate threat. A thick tentacle swept over the field, catching the miko and monk at their midsection and casually knocked them out of the way. Sango flung Hiraikotsu toward Naraku, then yelled over her shoulder: "InuYasha, I don't think we have time to fight amongst ourselves!"

InuYasha didn't hear her plea as he and Sesshoumaru battled violently, the lord maneuvering them a distance from Naraku. When it appeared InuYasha was holding back, Sesshoumaru began physically taunting him by getting just within striking range and leaping out at the last moment, Tessaiga slicing harmlessly through air. The rage in InuYasha built until his eyes started flashing red, and finally—much to Sesshoumaru's relief—released an anger-induced Wind Scar directly at him. Sesshoumaru ceased his movement and stood perfectly still as the chaotic attack clawed its way to him over the barren field. InuYasha stopped his attack, staring in confusion at the elder dog, a creepy sense of déjà vu washing over him, and the fine hairs on his nape rose in response. Sesshoumaru's heart was pounding in his ears, and the only thought in his head as the Wind Scar converged on him was _oh please let this work…_

Sesshoumaru held Tenseiga up before him and was engulfed in the roar and chaos of the Wind Scar. The hurricane force winds threatened to sweep him away but he stood firm, toes digging into the ground. It seemed like it seethed around him for an eternity, burning his sensitive nose and throat, cutting through nerve-laden skin, and all at once, it was over. He cracked his eyelids slowly, and before him, Tenseiga glowed a deep blue. With a feral smile, he faced Naraku and swung Tenseiga downward twice: the first cut seemed to leave a gaping hole in midair, and the second released the blue charge at their nemesis. The solid line of energy racing toward Naraku shattered to innumerable bolts of lightning as it entered through the hole and picked up speed. It connected with the evil hanyou, and he screamed as the illusion he held dissipated, leaving him curled in on himself on the ground. Sesshoumaru stepped through the hole Tenseiga created and grabbed Naraku by his hair, and dragged the limp body back through.

"How did you know to do that?" InuYasha asked, no small amount of awe in his voice.

"It was a hunch," he said, shrugging. "We couldn't touch him. Fukinmaru's attacks are much stronger than Naraku's defenses could ever hope to be but they weren't affecting him at all."

"So, what are we going to do with him?" Fukinmaru asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Sesshoumaru grinned ferally…

* * *

The three dog demons surveyed the bloody battlefield. Sayoko sighed. Humans could be so stubborn—surely it was one of the reasons her late mate was so fascinated with them—but this was fanatical. Sometimes they didn't know when to gracefully surrender to fight again another day. Soft conversation met her pointed ears, and she turned to look at her two middle children.

"Kon," she said with a smirk on her face, "since when do you eat pups?"

The regal alpha male drew himself up to his full height with a disgusted look on his face. "I would never eat a pup. You know this, mother. Human whelps, however, are another matter entirely."

Sayoko burst out laughing, knowing very well the eldest twin was disgusted by eating any meat whatsoever. As a pup, he survived on her blood, and as he grew, the aversion only became stronger. But there were advantages to consuming only blood even the West's very talented healer hadn't anticipated. Kon was one of the fastest dog demons to ever live, and his reflexes were swift and deadly.

"What shall we do with the human leader?" Haku asked, nodding at the severed head of Hideyoshi. Kon knelt beside it, staring at the horrified expression frozen forever on the greying flesh. He lifted it by the long black braid.

"Hn. I believe it will be a homecoming gift for our new lord."

* * *

The cherry tree forest housing Sakuraji rose eerily through the early morning mist. The sun's rays pierced through the less dense patches, sending sentinel-like shadows ahead of the mismatched group of travelers approaching from the east. Sesshoumaru led the group across the sky with Naraku firmly wrapped in both mokomoko. He could feel the guards at the castle expand their auras tentatively at the sheer concentrate of dog demon youkai approaching, pulling back when they recognized the Western Lord's return. They landed some distance away from Mokurenou. While nothing surprised the old tree demon, Sesshoumaru was polite to the temple's guardian and made it a habit to not suddenly appear without warning. The motley troupe followed behind him in single file, and he covertly observed InuYasha's reactions to the grove.

InuYasha couldn't stop staring around at the beautiful asymmetry the gardeners had captured. He knew his mouth was gaping, but he didn't care. The trees were ancient—far more ancient than any others he'd seen in his travels. They must have been planted thousands of years before. His brow furrowed in consideration. Just how long had his family held these lands? Kagome's light touch brought him out of his wonder slightly.

"InuYasha," she whispered (for it must certainly be sacrilege to speak above a whisper), "this is incredible."

"It is," he agreed, nodding.

He stopped beside one of the gnarled trunks, wrapping his arm around Kagome's waist, and grabbed a low-lying branch. With great care to not break it, he shook the thick branch and petals filled the air. The two of them laughed, childlike, amid the swirling petals, and their laughter spiraled through Sesshoumaru's spirit, seeming to lighten his burden just by its very existence. The vision of InuYasha and Kagome standing under the tree brought a hard lump to his throat as he recalled Izayoi and Touga standing under them and doing the same thing, simply to see the pleasure on their young children's faces. Memories of uncomplicated times with his family cluttered his head, and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but stare at the youngest of the inu clan with a genuine half-smile on his face. The pup sensed he was being watched, and their eyes met, the smile not wavering. Tentatively, InuYasha gave a half-smile of his own to his older brother.

"We are at once too old and much, much too young," Fukinmaru said softly to Sesshoumaru, watching the antics of the pups. They grabbed handfuls of the fallen petals and began throwing them at each other, running in and out between the trunks.

"He loves her," Sesshoumaru stated. Fukinmaru nodded in agreement.

"He does indeed," he said, then gave Sesshoumaru a sly look. "Will you mate her as well?"

Sesshoumaru snorted. "I would mate this abomination—" he indicated Naraku—"if it would make him happy."

Fukinmaru smirked, then leapt forward, shape shifting into a smaller version of his true form. He ran under the tree with InuYasha and Kagome and sent a hard blast of air up the trunk. Petals exploded in the air and it snowed pink all around them. After being invited into their play and politely, but firmly, refusing ("under no circumstances whatsoever does this Sesshoumaru _frolic_"—said with his golden eyes glittering with mirth), he continued on to greet Mokurenou.

"Hello, youngling," the tree demon said.

"Mokurenou, godfather," Sesshoumaru replied, nodding his head at the elder demon.

"Do I hear InuYasha's voice? Did you bring my other god nephew home?"

"I did, indeed," the Lord said softly. "I managed to capture his spirit back from Anubis. But I have yet to figure out how to reunite him with it."

The elder looked thoughtful, and Sesshoumaru got the impression of him nodding.

"You will find the answer in time. Of that I have no doubt."

"Thank you, godfather," he said, bowing at his waist, the gesture of great respect not lost on the tree. As Sesshoumaru straightened, the others came down the path toward Sakuraji, and InuYasha halted in his tracks when he saw Mokurenou.

"Godfather," Fukinmaru said, his voice holding much affection for the tree. "It is good to see you once more."

"Fukinmaru! You have returned," Mokurenou exclaimed. "Do you plan on finally settling down in Japan?"

"I will stay this time," he said, nodding. "I grow weary of walking the world without my pack. I have missed our talks, and I hope to make up for lost time."

Fukinmaru stepped aside as InuYasha approached.

"InuYasha," Sesshoumaru said, "this is Mokurenou. You have met Bokusenou. They are distantly related. Our family has protected theirs for thousands of years, and in return, they are valuable allies. As with Bokusenou, Mokurenou is also your godfather."

InuYasha mouthed the word "godfather", no sound emerging as he approached the demon tree. The golden eyes were wide and bright with emotion.

"G-Godfather," InuYasha said when his voice returned.

"InuYasha," the gentle voice came, "it is good to see you once more. The last time these eyes saw you, you were but a pup still in Izayoi's arms. When you get settled, please come and speak with me. I have much to share with you."

He nodded vigorously. "I will godfather. And thank you."

"Thank you, pup, for bringing happiness back to the West," Mokurenou replied. "Too long have we been without."

The blue barricade faded and disappeared, allowing the group to enter the zendou.


	12. The Beginning Of The End Game

**Author's Note: **Oh my gosh! It has been far too long for this poor story! Life got really crazy for me, but I'm working on this one again. As school was being let out last semester, I was attacked by You're My Loveprize In Viewfinder vorpal plot bunnies, hence the long period of inactivity. I am hoping beyond hope to tie this fic up in the next few months.

**Disclaimer: **InuYasha and gang still do not belong to me. **  
**

* * *

**The Beginning Of The End Game**

Ammit felt the stirrings of activity outside the sword she was trapped in. She stretched her sinuous body against the bonds of her own soul, wrapped tightly around the browned female flesh, testing once again the single hindrance to her revenge on that damned dog. She smirked to herself. Yes, Sesshoumaru was an asshole, but she had to admire his single-minded determination. Her expression went blank as she felt said asshole touch Sounga, the current manifestation of the fang holding her hostage. As soon as she was released from it, she knew it would revert back to a fang of life, Seiunga by name; it was her power coupled with Anubis' fang that threw off the balance of the sword to create Sounga. Sesshoumaru's form quickly materialized before her, and she immediately noticed the changes in him. The pup had grown.

"You found him." She made it a statement.

"Indeed," he replied, approaching her. The two stared at each other in silence. Ammit looked away.

"I have come to release you," Sesshoumaru continued. "And to give you an offering."

Her interest was piqued.

"An offering?" she asked and laughed; it was a deep, rich sound. "And just what could you sacrifice to me to undo these last years?"

Sesshoumaru stepped up to her bound body, not touching but close enough to feel her body heat. He leaned over slowly, taking his time and savoring the moment, for it would never come again after he released her. He scented her neck, then drew his tongue over one of the thin rivers of blood up her chest. With her eyes firmly closed—Sesshoumaru was convinced she couldn't open them until she devoured a soul—she leaned her head back, groaning.

"It is an offering of peace, not of recompense," he stated.

"And if I don't accept?"

Sesshoumaru straightened. "You go free whether or not you accept."

Ammit nodded once, and Sesshoumaru released the minute strands of his own youkai pinning Ammit's youkai around her body. It recoiled swiftly; the energy released threw Sesshoumaru out of Sounga.

On the outside of the sword, InuYasha and the rest of the group looked on as Sounga began to glow, then it flashed brightly. Sesshoumaru appeared and backed up, the rest of them following his example, giving the sword room. The energy rumbled into the zendou, reshaping into the shape of a large scorpion as it was pulled from Seiunga. When the light died, a half-scorpion, half-woman was in the space before the sword, her body nearly translucent with large black youkai marks dancing on her skin. The venomous stinger attached to the tail tip swayed to and fro, as if deciding on its own whom to pierce first. Her eyes were still closed. Before any of them could react, two tentacles whipped out and pinned Sesshoumaru high on the wall.

"Stop!" he called when Fukinmaru and InuYasha made a move toward the goddess.

"Tell me, Son of Touga, why I shouldn't kill you now?" Ammit asked, squeezing him tightly.

"My brother is precious to my Lord Father and myself," Sesshoumaru replied when she released him enough to breathe. "I am sure you would have done the same if our situations were reversed."

She inhaled deeply and figured out why he smelled familiar: Ma'at's scent was on the Lord of the West. If Ma'at condoned his actions, she herself could do no less—as infuriating as it was. In anger, she squeezed him once more for good measure, then dropped him, and he landed on his feet.

"Where is your offering, Sesshoumaru?" she asked and swung around to see a kneeling Fukinmaru holding a squirming half-demon in one of his moko.

Her anger immediately evaporated, and she plucked Naraku from the larger demon. With one of the black ribbon-like tentacles growing out of her back, she brought Naraku to her face.

"Onigumo," Ammit said with no small amount of menace in her voice. "I've been waiting for you."

Black-lined eyelids opened, casting a bright white light over Naraku's body, and in moments, it began to sizzle, like it was being cooked. A few more moments and his body burst into millions of pinpoints of light (much like Kagome's voice did). Ammit opened her mouth—also glowing white—and sucked in every dancing ball of light. The sound was horrific, but even more so the silence after he was gone.

"I-Is that it? Is he gone for good?" Kagome finally asked, unable to contain the desperate question any longer.

Before it was answered, Ammit clawed the air, and tore a great gaping hole in it, like Tenseiga managed to do. She slipped through it, and without a look back, sealed the portal shut.

"Yes, he's gone for good," Sesshoumaru said, sighing. He picked up the sword Seiunga from where it had clattered onto the floor and tucked it into his obi with the other swords there.

"This was a single battle won. We still need to get back and prepare for the upcoming war," Fukinmaru observed.

* * *

Sayoko and the entourage from Mongolia entered the castle gates after she took down the barrier herself and instructed the guards to accept the clans who were offering their swords. Kon and Haku, along with their mates and multiple pups, were put in a family room so they wouldn't be split up, while she went to retrieve Makoto and the betas that were hidden in case the castle had been besieged. On the way back up from the caves, Sesshoumaru and the rest of his troupe touched down in the castle's courtyard, filling the castle with a number of powerful inuyoukai auras. Sayoko and Makoto rushed into the receiving chamber to see Sesshoumaru, and both bitches were taken aback at how he'd grown.

"Oh gods," Sayoko whispered, approaching him and barely skimming over the new fur of his second mokomoko. She smiled. "You _found_ him!"

"I did. Both of him," he said with a smirk and pointedly looked over her shoulder.

She followed his gaze and saw the self-conscious hanyou attempting to hide behind the other humans and make it look like he wasn't trying to escape. Her heart ached in her chest for the pup. How many years had it been since she'd stroked those sweet little ears when he was barely up to her knee, and calling her his "other mother". He was a perfect cross between Touga and Izayoi. She knew her former mates would be so very proud of him. Tears welled in her eyes and she wiped them away before approaching the young pup slowly. InuYasha noticed the high-level bitch's approach and knew he was seeing Sesshoumaru's dam. Her scent was familiar somehow, and he knew he would always be safe with her.

"Someday, when you're settled in and comfortable, I would like to tell you about your parents, InuYasha," she said, smiling at him gently.

"I'd like that," he replied and bowed.

The two of them felt the powerful alpha male aura come into sensing range at the same time. Sayoko moved in front of the pup and humans, but Sesshoumaru did nothing. The menacing aura drew closer to the receiving room, and it nearly sent Sayoko into a panic, being unable to recognize it. She was shocked when Fukinmaru (whom she almost didn't recognize even by sight) stepped through the shouji and looked directly at her. Her eyes went blood red, her claws began to grow out and drip venom and she hissed at the invasive male; Fukinmaru's movements were mirroring her own. Sesshoumaru stepped in between the two of them before blood could be shed.

"Not here," was the imperial command, enhanced with a light touch of his aura. "If you must fight for dominance, go outside or to the doujou."

"I won't make it _that_ easy for you," she growled, spun around and left.

* * *

Sayoko went directly to the doujou and pushed herself. Never had she been angrier… or more confused. The moment Touga died, Fukinmaru took the mantle of Patriarch, even though he was sailing with the Italian man Christopher Columbus—an odd name, Sayoko thought—to find a route to the Indies. Their journey had been quite successful, or so Fukinmaru wrote in a letter home: they discovered an archipelago and his captain named it San Salvador. When Sesshoumaru received Fukinmaru's reply after their sire passed, he had Sayoko read it; the eldest dog writing that he couldn't abandon his duties until the journey was finished. And since then, he found a host of reasons he couldn't come home, while the pack was left in chaos until Sesshoumaru was able to prove his strength. Sayoko hit the practice dummy as hard as she could with a growl, sending the sack head flying out of the open shouji into the outside practice yard. _She_ was acting Patriarch while Fukinmaru was absent. How _dare_ he make an appearance nearly a century later and think she would hand the title over so easily!

She spun at the interior shouji sliding open and nearly snapped at whoever interrupted her venting, when Fukinmaru's powerful aura washed over her. He locked eyes with her and didn't look away as he shut the door behind him. Fukinmaru was shirtless, showing pierced nipples, and wore hakama that ended just below his knees. He was barefoot. Sayoko's heart sped up—this was not her son, not the pup who left Japan so many years ago. Standing before her was the Patriarch of the Clan of the West. With his thoughtful gaze leveled at her, he walked with purpose to stand before her, and she stiffened her spine in response. Sayoko would be damned before being intimidated by an alpha she had whelped, even if that whelp was Patriarch! They remained that way for several moments.

"I hoped it wouldn't come down to this," Fukinmaru said gently.

"What?" she hissed. "You expected me to just roll over? If so, you know _nothing_ about me!"

Fukinmaru attacked before she could move, knocking her back several yards. Sayoko lost her breath as she landed hard on her back. Gasping, she flipped herself over quickly but not fast enough. Fukinmaru's overwhelmingly dominant aura pinned her to the tatami, and his body immediately followed, his hard cock nestled snugly between her slender legs. She fought violently, biting at his arms and trying for his throat, attempting to get free of the alpha male's unforgiving body. Sayoko froze when she felt his hand close around her throat, his claws a hairsbreadth from her jugular, and the acrid scent of his venom surrounded them. If he scratched her, the neurotoxin wouldn't kill her but it would hurt like hell while her immune system expunged it from her body. She growled at being so thoroughly trapped, but didn't dare move, otherwise. Sayoko heard him free his erection and whined softly when his other hand untied her own hakama, slipped under the fabric and exposed her glistening cunt. She started when she felt the thick head of his cock tease her outer lips and tensed in fear. The first and last inuyoukai to ever mount her was Touga; all of her other lovers were less dominant than she, and Sayoko mounted and fucked them.

"This will hurt a lot less if you relax, bitch," Fukinmaru whispered, stroking her side and back with his free hand.

"I c-can't," Sayoko replied through her near-panicked panting.

Her own claws were leaking, the acidic venom melting the bamboo mat beneath them. Fangs pierced her shoulder, and the hot, coppery scent of blood had her eyes change from amber to garnet. He lapped sensually at the four oozing puncture wounds, and when just the taste stopped satisfying, he fed on her. The tension drained from Sayoko as he suckled at her shoulder, the sensation causing her nipples to harden painfully and her cunt to clench around the head of his cock. Fukinmaru felt the strong grip of the alpha bitch's muscles, and with a feral growl he seated his cock deeply in her burning heat. She cried out at the sudden searing invasion. It had been decades since an alpha male as big as Fukinmaru filled her cunt to the point of pain. Fukinmaru released her throat, confident she wouldn't attempt to bolt, and she sank onto her forearms with a shuddering groan. He began thrusting into her slowly after giving her time to adjust to his size, and her channel grew pleasantly slick.

"Fuck, you are so tight," he growled into her pointed ear as he slammed into her.

Sayoko couldn't answer. The ecstasy of being fucked and not in control (but safe) was too much for her to speak through. It wasn't long until his arms snaked under her arms, grasped her shoulders and pulled her forcefully onto his substantial knot. Sayoko snarled in discomfort and snapped at his hands, grazing his smooth skin with her fangs. Her mind and body raged. Sayoko could feel his cock throbbing deep inside, emptying his balls into her now-barren womb, and her clit pulsed in jealous anger of the alpha male's release. Sayoko lifted herself up and was about to take care of the problem, when he gently slapped her hand away.

"_Mine_," Fukinmaru said, his voice low, possessive and almost unrecognizable.


End file.
